Town council gave first reading to an amendment to a land use bylaw that would open the door to the construction of a new K-8 school in Sunset Ridge.
The current Sunset Ridge Area Structure Plan (ASP) was first adopted in June, and the need for a school site to be prepared and ready was identified through the town’s discussions with Rocky View Schools (RVS) and the applicant of a new neighbourhood plan, Melcor Developments.
“It’s to accommodate growth in Cochrane,” said RVS board chair Bruce Pettigrew, adding that they hope this proposed school in Sunset Ridge is included in the province’s next announcement of new schools in Alberta.
Labeling the K-8 school as the top priority in RVS’ capital plan, Pettigrew said Sunset Ridge was chosen due to the rapidly growing population in the area.
“It’s a fair sized building,” said Pettigrew, indicating that the school would house a maximum of 800 students and following any potential announcement by the province, construction usually takes between 36-42 months before completion.
RVS saw an increase of 885 in their student population in 2012, with Cochrane’s growth second only to Chestermere.
The province has requested background information on the proposed schools site for review, including an estimated completion date for grading and servicing of the land.
This land use application would be Phase 13 for Sunset Ridge and, in addition to a new school, would include a large public utility lot for a stormwater pond and minimal residential land uses.
Pettigrew said that Sunset Ridge was not the only location in Cochrane that could see a new school constructed in the future, pointing to Riversong and Fireside as two potential areas of interest.
A public meeting to address this matter was set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the RancheHouse.
