Foothills School Division will proceed with plans to build a high school near the Legacy Regional Field House despite a Town of Okotoks press release stating it is premature to commission architectural designs for the site.
“It is a little bit disappointing, but our plans are to move this forward and continue to work with the MD of Foothills to move this forward,” said Drew Chipman, Foothills School Division assistant-superintendent, corporate services.
The school division announced a proposal on March 4 to build a high school near the Legacy Regional Field House. It would initially be a 650-student structure, which could open in three years. Potentially it could expand to 1,800 students.
The Town of Okotoks released a press release March 26 stating their concerns about developing a 1,800-student high school on the lands of the Legacy Regional Field House, of which the Town states it owns 50 per cent.
“This shared interest includes the requirement for mutual consent of both owners regarding any decisions made with regards to these lands, including a portion of land to build schools and access to other site infrastructure such as the field house, parking lots and indoor/outdoor recreational facilities and supporting water, waste water and other utilities on the site,” the press release stated.
The Town went on to say the site was “neither planned or designed to accommodate an 1,800 student high school; is situated within a planned industrial park; and there is currently no land use planning framework or comprehensive master plan regarding this type of infrastructure.”
At its March 23 meeting, council resolved that prior to detailed design and construction plans on these lands, the Town will work with the MD of Foothills on developing a 20-year site and facilities master plan for the Legacy Field House lands. The proposal would have the MD and the Town split the cost for the study.
Michael MacIntyre, Okotoks development service director, said a study is needed to understand the implications of a potential 1,800 student school on the site.
He said the Town, as 50 per cent owner with the MD of Foothills with the majority of the just under 50 acre site the field house, should have a say on what is going on at the site.
He said there is a 7.6-acre parcel of land that is owned by the MD of Foothills and is designated for municipal reserve.
“They certainly have the right to develop that as a municipal park or a school site,” MacIntyre said. “However, my understanding is there wasn’t an expectation or intention at the time of the agreement for a large school on that site.
“But more importantly, the agreement simply indicated that the Town would have a right to consent whatever decision was made in terms of that MR portion.”
He said the field house was designed to fill the recreational needs of the regional area.
“It is in everyone’s interest that whatever development occurs on that site doesn’t compromise the potential for the primary recreational facility,” he said.
He admitted there is a need for school sites in the Okotoks.
“We have work to do in terms of the Town and planning for future school sites, there is serious pressure there,” McIntyre said.
He said the Town is doing preliminary work with landowners and developers in the D’Arcy Ranch and Wedderburn lands which includes discussion with field sites.
He said it is not unrealistic for a timeframe for three to five years for a school site in Okotoks.
MD of Foothills Reeve Larry Spilak said the proposed land site for the school is 100 per cent owned by the M.D. of Foothills.
“This school is to go on our municipal reserve — Okotoks does not have any jurisdiction over that,” Spilak said. “When the field house comes into the picture, that will be the field house society who makes that decision. Not Okotoks, not the MD of Foothills. We have a society made up of councillors from Okotoks, the MD of Foothills as well as members at large.
“Those are the people that will make that decision.”
He stressed schools are needed now for Okotoks area students due to a lack of school sites in the Town’s boundary.
“Foothills schools are bursting at the seams and the only other alternative is six or seven years out — we need to find schools for these kids to go to,” Spilak said. “We have made it clear for the past two years we wish to have a school on that site, and probably two if possible.”
He has no concerns if a study is done.
“I don’t have a problem with studies as long as they don’t delay the project,” Spilak said. “If it starts to delay this project, then we will certainly be having some discussions on it.”
He said a proposal for a study — and the MD to pay for half of it — has not crossed the MD of Foothills council table as of yet.
Chipman said the school division has not worked on any architectural plans at this point, but are in the process of preparing request for proposals from consulting firms.
He said the division has been in conversations for the last few years about potential school sites with the Town of Okotoks concerning sites in the community.
“That is why this is disappointing,” he said. “They don’t have a school site. They acknowledge they have been working with us for quite some time and there is still no sites. We have constraints. We have to have space to educate these kids.”
The proposed school does have the support of Alberta Minister Gordon Dirks.
