The owners of a medical office building want to convert the structure into a care home to look after residents with health needs, but require discretionary approval from city council first.
AMN Royalty Care Inc. owns the Mualla Professional Building at 290 Fourth Avenue Northeast — across the street from the former Union Hospital site — and want to turn the building into a type 3 residential care home for up to 20 seniors, while also offering respite, palliative and transition care for adults.
This property is currently zoned as CS community service/institutional district, which does not list residential care homes (type 3) as a land use in the district, according to a report from city administration. The applicant is pursuing the zoning bylaw amendment to add this use to the district and would subsequently apply for the discretionary use approval if the amendment passes.
The CS district currently lists type 1 and type 2 residential care homes as discretionary uses; type 1 allows the number of residents, excluding staff, to be no more than five people, while type 2 allows for up to 15 residents to live in a residential care home, excluding staff. Type 3 allows for more than 15 residents to live in a care home.
During its Feb. 24 regular meeting, council voted unanimously to have city administration advertise the proposed zoning bylaw amendment that would include adding residential care homes (type 3) as a discretionary use in the CS district, while also preparing a bylaw to make that change.
In its rezoning application, AMN Royalty explained lower cost, high quality care homes are in high demand in Moose Jaw. Receiving approval to rezone the district to allow for type 3 would ensure the room rates are affordable.
The building also meets the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s requirements for size and safety for a personal care home, the application added. Moreover, the structure is in an ideal location to meet the needs of seniors and could provide several amenities.
The next regular council meeting is March 9.
