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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTREEHOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL EXPANSION - MJA/FDP - 10-10/A - DECISION - MINUTES/NOTESPlanning & Zoning Board June 17, 2010 Page 4 Member Lingle moved to approve the Tree House Montessori School Expansion, Major Amendment -- #10-10 based upon the Findings of Fact and Conclusion on page 7 of the staff report. Member Schmidt seconded the motion. Member Smith asked if since 2007 there have been any Code compliance violations. McArdle/Director Dush said they are not aware of any. Member Schmidt said she understands the proposal was pretty warmly received by the neighborhood. They have things put in place to handle the situation pretty well. She understands Mr. Walker's concerns but she doesn't believe there's anything that would cause them to condition their approval. The school has made the agreement (showing good faith effort) to be good neighbors. She thinks that the current good relationship will continue. Chair Stockover agrees. He said the Board was being very cautious back in 2007 and with no complaints tonight, he feels very confident in supporting the motion. Motion was approved 7:0. Other Business: None Meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. Steve Dush, CDNS Director Butch Stockover, Chair Planning & Zoning Board June 17, 2010 Page 3 certified nature explorer back yard. They believe over the past three years they've had a very successful track record in the neighborhood. They update and maintain the landscaping and they have maintained the integrity of the residential nature of the building. Over 50% of their enrollment is from the neighborhood and the west side of Fort Collins. They'd like to increase their enrollment to 25 students. In addition to that they'd like to offer more basic benefits to their employees to retain quality employees. Member Smith said he understands the agreement with the church is in place. What happens to your operation if for whatever reason the church decides to sell or redevelop? Is there a contingency plan for an alternative location? Leland said they do not have a contingency plan. They have talked extensively with the church and they've reassured them they are not selling. Public Input Lloyd Walker lives in the Rolland Moore Neighborhood and is involved with the Steering Committee of their neighborhood association. They are very happy with the Montessori School. They've been good neighbors. They've taken the property and greatly improved it. They believe it's a real asset to have such a facility in the neighborhood. He believes the proposal goes beyond what the site can handle since they have to have an agreement with the church —the site itself can't deal with their expansion. He's also concerned that the church may not always be available. He suggests the Board add a condition of approval if for some reason the arrangement with the church is no longer in force the school would need to return to its previous level of enrollment. His other concern is an attractive street appearance. He understands they're going to convert the garage to additional classroom space. He'd like to be sure the street appearance continues to be attractive-- maintaining compatibility with the character of the neighborhood. He was curious about construction details in terms of whether they're going to have an elevated floor so the classroom would not operate on concrete. He'd also like to know if there would be adequate light and ventilation. Leland said she appreciates Mr. Walker's thumbs up to their current operation. The current facility meets requirements of the Land Use Code (LUC) in terms of parking. Their overflow arrangement with the church is specifically for those times they have special events for parents and former students. They have two teachers on site as is required by the State. She said the Board should have an architectural drawing in their packet. The proposed change maintains the residential character —there is nothing out of the ordinary there. She understands the concern about the floor. There are plans to have a floor in there that is not concrete. Member Schmidt asked if a handicapped space is still there. McArdle said there will be two spaces as required. One will be handicapped parking and the other regular parking. Member Schmidt asked what is across Taft Hill. McArdle said there's a Safeway store right across the street. Schmidt noted it's not too far so if parents need to park there they could cross the street with the benefit of a pedestrian crosswalk. Leland asked the Board to keep in mind that these are very young children-3, 4 and 5 years old. There is a State regulation that requires parents both to sign in and sign out their child. Member Schmidt asked if the current agreement with the church is a LUC requirement. McArdle said no —it's more of a courtesy to the neighborhood. Only the two on -site spaces are required. Lingle said the overflow wouldn't be any different from any other neighborhood when they have guests over for a barbeque. Lingle noted that interior construction requirements are outside the purview of the Board. McArdle added interior construction related details will be addressed in the permitting/building inspection process. Planning & Zoning Board June 17, 2010 Page 2 Discussion Agenda: 2. Tree House Montessori School Expansion Major Amendment, # 10-10 Project: Tree House Montessori School Expansion Major Amendment, # 10-10 Project Description: This is a request to increase the enrollment limit of the current Tree House Montessori School from 15 to 25 students. The Tree House Montessori School, located at 2013 Valley Forge Avenue, was originally approved by the Planning and Zoning Board on July 11, 2007; in that approval, the Board limited the enrollment to 15 students and required that if an increase be made in the future, that it be brought to the Board as a Major Amendment to the original Development Plan. An increase to 25 students requires an indoor floor space of 1,000 square feet and a 2,500 square foot outdoor play area. The site accommodates the outdoor play area requirement and the existing garage is planned to be renovated to meet the additional indoor space needed. The applicants have submitted a letter of intent from the Fort Collins Bible Church indicating their plans to enter into a private parking agreement to meet the school's infrequent special events parking needs. The site is located in the RL, Low Density Residential Zone District. Recommendation: Approval Hearing Testimony, Written Comments and Other Evidence Planner Emma McArdle said child care centers are permitted in the RL zone district, so long as they are at least one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet from any existing child care centers. The original proposal included a Modification of Standard to the distance requirement; the Board approved the Modification of Standard request stating that it was not detrimental to the public good and was equal to a compliant plan meeting the requirement because this child care project is in a residential setting and it serves the same constituency as it did in its previous location. The original development plan was approved by the Board with the condition that enrollment would be limited to 15 students on July 11, 2007. The proposed expansion does not impact the original Project Development Plan's (PDP) compliance with any of the standards that it was reviewed against in 2007. McArdle said the Board's agenda packet materials originally proposed there would be an off -site parking agreement with Fort Collins Bible Church which is located south of the site. It will still be used for overflow parking. McArdle said they've changed the site plan to accommodate the two required parking spaces on the driveway in front of the property. Member Schmidt asked when they anticipated the overflow parking. McArdle said it'll be used primarily for special events or for parents as needed. It is not anticipated to be often. Applicant's Presentation Shawn Leland, 2009 Valley Forge Avenue, is a board member of Tree House Montessori School. She said the school requires specific Montessori certification emphasizing the five senses versus the traditional reading, watching, listening. Research shows that Montessori students are very successful later in life with many becoming community leaders. The school has been in the neighborhood for nine years and officially launched in 2007. In 2007 they were capped at 15 students. They are in the process of updating the outdoor play area and becoming the first pre-school in Fort Collins that has an Arbor Day Chair Stockover called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Roll Call: Campana, Carpenter, Hatfield, Lingle, Schmidt, Smith, and Stockover Staff Present: Dush, Eckman, McArdle, and Sanchez -Sprague Agenda Review Director Dush reviewed the agenda. He noted at the Board's work session there had been some discussion to move the Tree House Montessori discussion topic to consent. Citizen participation: Kathleen Brandon, 200 E. Lincoln, wanted to speak briefly about Plan Fort Collins and plans to make to Lincoln Avenue a 4 lane arterial between the Poudre River bridge and the light at Lemay (a distance of 1 1/8 miles). She distributed a handout that spoke to the concerns of the Buckingham Neighborhood which has 90 single family residences. They'd like to see a "streetscape" project on Lincoln Avenue with features such as detached sidewalks, bike lanes, and two traffic lanes with a center turn lane with speeds of 35 mph. They believe the four -lane designation of East Lincoln is not necessary. With plans to make Mulberry a 6-lane road, that believe traffic will move satisfactorily in an east -west fashion. Ms. Brandon said their primarily concerns are appearance and safety. She referred to a traffic study done by Dellich & Associates for O'Dell's. Mr. Dellich's conclusions are different than those of Plan Fort Collins. He believes a two-lane road is more appropriate for that area. She thinks the neighborhoods safety needs are preeminent to speeding traffic along the southern Buckingham boundaries to "pinch points" at the Poudre River bridge and a proposed round about at Lincoln and Jefferson. She indicated she would welcome the opportunity to return with a brief (25-35 slides) presentation. Member Schmidt asked what the neighborhood proposes as an alternative. Ms. Brandon said they'd prefer to see 3 lanes of traffic which included turn lanes and a detached sidewalk. They'd welcome participation in the redevelopment of that section. Schmidt said she would welcome the chance to see the slide presentation. Chair asked members of the audience and the Board for their preference related to Tree House Montessori School Expansion Major Amendment, # 10-10 being on the Consent Agenda. Members of the audience asked that it remain on the Discussion Agenda as they'd like to hear the presentation and have the chance to ask questions/share feedback. Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes from the April 29 and May 20, 2010 Planning & Zoning Hearings Member Schmidt moved to approve item # 1 April 29 and May 20, 2010 minutes of the Planning and Zoning Board. Member Campana seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7:0.