Bluewater District School Board was able to get an adjustment for parking requirements so they could put up portables at two schools in Kincardine.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Kincardine council discussed whether to allow an exception for parking.
Per the zoning and parking by-laws, the requirements are 8 parking spaces per classroom, and the school board is asking for a reduction to 4.86 spaces per classroom. This would allow the installation of the three portables at Kincardine District Senior School and Kincardine District Secondary School.
Bruce County Planner Julie Steeper says that the reduction of parking spaces would allow for temporary classrooms for students while the school board constructs a new senior school.
“The new portables are intended to be temporary accommodation until the new school can be provided, so these may not be long term.”
Councillor Bill Stewart raised an issue with the school actually needing more parking spaces with the portables being installed and further pointed out that the portables were installed on the school property without a permit.
The school board, along with consultants from SMR Architects showed that based on their analysis, most students were either dropped off by parents or bused in, and perhaps the number of parking spaces in the by-law was far more than required.
Mayor Ken Craig said that despite the issues that may arise from having the portables take up parking spaces, there was a decision to be made.
“Ultimately, we want our children in a classroom in September, not in the cafeteria,” says Craig. “And if we delay this, there’s no building permit, there’s no occupancy, there’s no classroom.”
Councillor Rory Cavanagh echoed sentiments from the chair, saying “We don’t have a lot of decision here. It feels very automated. If we say no, the headline will read ‘Council Stops 90 Students From Attending School,’” he chuckled. “Whereas hopefully when this gets passed, the headline reads ‘Council Saves School Board Again’ and highlights how over the past little while, at least since 2020, there’s been a lot of talk of new things happening, and here we are four years later with $26,000,000 in an account somewhere and waiting to pass a motion here to provide three new portables that are much needed, but it doesn’t feel like we have a lot of choice.”
In a recorded vote requested by Stewart, council voted in favour of allowing the reduction in the required number of parking spaces, and therefore allowing the portables to be put up ahead of the new school year.
