Senior citizens who need extra care will soon have a new housing option.
Town of Barrhead councillors unanimously approved Bylaw 01-2018 during their Feb. 27 meeting.
The bylaw will allow the applicants, Laverne and Hilda Frose to rezone adjacent lots on 50 Avenue near 52 Street from R2 residential to R3 residential.
The decision came shortly after a public hearing on the subject, in which only the applicants were in attendance. Council gave first reading of the bylaw at their Jan. 23 meeting. Since then the town has received no letters and only one phone call, which was in favour of the application.
Director of development and legislative services Cheryl Callihoo said what the Froses would like to do is tear down a small house that sits on one of the lots in order to build what essentially is a four plex.
“I call it two duplexes with basement suites, but basically what they want to do is build a four plex with basement suites in both units,” she said.
Laverne Frose agreed, adding the development would target the higher end senior citizen rental market.
“We are designing them to be senior friendly, wheel chair accessible and have space for a future live-in caregiver,” Laverne Frose said, adding the suite for the caregiver would be totally separate from the rest of the unit on the upper level and would include a bedroom and bathroom, as well as a kitchen and living room.
The lower level, he said would include large windows that will be about 40 inches above ground level.
Coun. Leslie Penny asked if the units would be restricted to seniors or if they were just the preferred tenants.
“What would happen if a couple or a family wanted to move in?” she asked.
Laverne Frose said it might be OK to have a younger couple live in the basement suites, but ideally they would like to restrict it to seniors.
“We really don’t want a family with a pile of kids,” he said, but realized keeping to that restriction might be difficult. “I talked to a realtor who told me that the caregivers most likely would be a divorced son or daughter with three teenagers.”
“And we are saying no,” Hilda Frose interjected.
Coun. Dausen Kluin asked how mobility challenged people would enter the units, as the entrances are not at ground level.
Laverne said both units would have an attached garage, with a two-step entrance into the unit and it would be relatively simple to install a ramp.
Coun. Ty Assaf asked if there was another entrance at the back of the unit to allow residents to exit in case of a fire.
Laverene said not really.
“There is a deck at the back, if you want to call it an egress, but it is four feet off the ground,” he said.
Assaf said as long as there was a doorway on to the deck where people could escape if the other exits were blocked by fire.
“As long as there is no wall on the deck and the fire department can access it with a short ladder is all I am concerned about,” he said.
Councillors unanimously approved Policy 26-011, Peace Officer Program Requirements. The policy outlines what types of incidents involving the municipality’s peace officer need to be reported to the director of law enforcement, which operates under the public security peace officer program under the Alberta’s Solicitor General’s umbrella.
Chief operating officer Martin Taylor noted the policy is a requirement under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), noting the town’s peace officer Brandon Johnson did most of the work drafting the policy.
Coun. Don Smith asked if the policy was Barrhead specific or if administration just reworked an outline that the province provides for all municipalities.
“Why I ask is when I read the document there are sections that don’t pertain to our peace officer. It talks about firearms and some other things that he doesn’t have use of,” he said. “If they don’t have to be in there maybe they should be taken out.”
Taylor responded the section regarding the use of firearms is pertinent, noting Johnson has access to a firearm.
“It is securely stored with the RCMP, but if the need arises, peace officer Johnson has the training to carry it,” he said.
Mayor Dave McKenzie added the firearm’s intended use is to dispatch wounded animals rather and as a defence against wildlife.
Councillors unanimously approved a $1,500 request from the Volunteer Appreciation Committee, which is supported by the town and county.
McKenzie noted the amount is in the budget and the town’s contribution remains unchanged from past years.
“The focus will reflect this year’s provincial volunteer theme ‘Celebrate the value of volunteers,” he said, adding 126 volunteer organizations have been invited to participate in the April 18 event.
Councillors approved Bylaw 02-20018 also known as the Council Code of Conduct bylaw.
Taylor noted the bylaw is required under the MGA. The bylaw sets the rules for calling meetings, appointing committee members and sets the procedures under which they operate. It also includes a code of conduct for councillors and committee members. Council gave first reading to the bylaw at its Jan. 23 meeting.
