SASKATOON Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan (RMHS) is appealing the City of Saskatoon’s denial of a building permit for an outside deck to expand its indoor dining service. The centre, located on University Drive, houses out-of-town pediatric patients receiving medical treatment, as well as their families. According to city documents, the building permit was denied because the addition would not leave the minimum-required front yard space of six metres to the adjacent roadway. In a city assessment, the addition would only leave 4.4 metres of distance. In a development appeals board hearing on Tuesday, Marcelline Zimmer, director of operations with RMHC, said the addition is RMHC’s effort to provide better service for the 1,500 families that use the facility, increasing physical distance and increasing safety for families who may be immuno-compromised.