Artist rendering of proposed changes for St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School.
(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)
June 14, 2016 - 8:30 AM
KELOWNA - Declining or flat enrolment is something pubic school districts throughout the province are dealing with, but that hasn't been an issue for St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School.
Increased enrolment has the private school on Sutherland Avenue seeking the city’s blessing to expand its facility by tearing down two old buildings and adding onto a third.
The Catholic Independent Schools of Nelson Diocese, owner of the school, cites 'significant enrolment growth' as the rationale for the expansion.
Plans are to attach a prefabricated building to the existing main building over the summer to allow it to house 12 new classrooms and associated maintenance rooms and washrooms, according to a report from city planner Ryan Roycroft.
Staff support the request for a development permit, Roycroft says, with the proposed design and layout and enhancement both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
However, they require a geotechnical report for the sub-soil conditions on the site, because it is in the Mill Creek floodplain.
Staff also want to see an exit analysis, determining travel distances inside the building, directions the doors swing and the number of exits required.
Should council approve the development permit, it will be valid for two years and cannot be extended.
— The headline on this story was corrected at 9:47 a.m., June 15, 2016, to more clearly reflect the story.
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