Rocky View County (RVC) council voted unanimously at the Oct. 17 meeting to consider bringing group home development permits under council’s direct authority, and to impose a temporary suspension on all group home approvals in RVC until at least the new year.
Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke read in a motion to that effect before the general council vote, and it was seconded by Division 6 Coun. Sunny Samra.
The type of group home category which was suspended is listed under the Care Facility (Group) designation in the County’s land use bylaw. According to RVC’s Land Use Bylaw C-8000-2020, “Care Facility (Group)” means “a use where individuals who are either disabled or in need of supervision reside on a temporary or long-term basis, in accordance with their individual needs. Typical uses include foster or boarding homes for children, group homes, family homes and long-term care facilities.”
Boehlke reiterated his desire to update the County’s land use bylaw to bring these types of facilities under council’s control during the approval process due to public sentiments expressed to councillors in the past.
“I hope for support on this,” said Boehlke prior to the vote. “We’re seeing this is just another thing that comes with growth. We are seeing uses that don’t fit in our established communities. And established communities don’t really get an opportunity to, it doesn’t feel like from the feedback I am getting, they don’t feel that they are being heard even at (Subdivision Development and Appeal Board) when they come in and raise objections or questions.”
While most on council were broadly supportive of Boehlke’s motion, Division 1 Coun. Kevin Hanson hoped his council colleagues would use measured consideration when the land use bylaw amendments would come back before council in January.
“I think what we might need is a little more slicing and dicing in a few more definitions of care facilities; so I have two cautions,” he said. “One is that we are eliminating something perfectly good … which isn’t specifically named, that will be put a hold on. There could (also) be other FCSS-related homes for women that find themselves out of a house and have (kids), and they need a place to go. Currently, they are ending up in our urban neighbours.
“So just be careful what we wish for, and make sure that we think this through,” Hanson cautioned, “and we don’t end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater because of a user as opposed to a use.”
A report on this issue, and other proposed amendments to the County’s land use bylaw, will come back before council’s Governance Committee in January.
