A child care facility which will accommodate up to 450 children is being proposed in the rural community of Bearspaw and not all residents are in favour of the development.
The development would require 8.9 hectares of residential land to be redesignated as business and recreation district in order to accommodate the daycare facility.
The landowner is the corporation that owns the campus of Renert School, a private school roughly 3.5 kilometers southeast of the property, in the City of Calgary.
The daycare is meant to complement the Renert School program by accommodating a pre-school child care facility that can transfer its students to the school as they age. Bearspaw families can take part in the facilities program, according to the proposal.
According to a local resident, the landowner plans to hold an open house on Jan. 18 at the northwest YMCA to present the proposal to the public.
RVC council previously refused a redesignation application in the same area for an Islamic community centre in 2018.
The refused application would have redesignated 12 acres of residential land to Public Services District, allowing development of a 22,098 square foot facility at the southwest junction of Burma Road and Rocky Ridge Road.
The proposed daycare building and parking lot is proposed to be built a distance away from Rocky Ridge Road, screened by existing trees and topography.
The development plan has not defined a specific size for the structure, and RVC stated that exact sizing would typically be determined through a future Development Permit stage.
Though the Islamic community centre was heavily opposed, technical concerns including water, traffic, and noise were addressed prior to council’s decision. Opposition focused on technical concerns, its proximity to homes, as well as concerns the facility would be primarily used by Calgarians.
The application was considered to conflict with a policy that proposed institutional or community land uses should demonstrate both benefits to the local area, and compatibility with surrounding existing land uses.
In response to the daycare proposal, one resident hopes his neighbours will come out to the open house to be informed about the project’s impact on their rural community.
Rocky View County stated the Master Site Development Plan and the associated redesignation application are currently being reviewed by the planning department and no council date has yet been assigned.
A public hearing of council will be scheduled and advertised to area residents, as well as on the County’s website. If approved, subsequent Development Permit and Building Permit applications will be required.
According to the proposal, the objective of the development is to retain a small footprint for the building by creating two levels, with several parking areas, located inside the property rather than on any edge.
A letter was mailed in October 2022 to the adjacent landowner whose residence is closest to the proposed child-care facility. An open house was held at the Rocky Ridge Ranch Homeowners’ Association building on May 25, 2023.
The company feels its proximity to existing and future non-residential uses make it compatible and appropriate to the area.
They believe this facility will benefit families in the rural area and have a tax-benefit to the County.
