HomeMy WebLinkAboutTREEHOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL EXPANSION - MJA/FDP - 10-10/A - REPORTS - PLANNING OBJECTIVESamendment request to allow 25 students to attend the Tneehouse Montessori School
would help us meet current demand. Every semester, since Fall 2008, Treehouse has had
to place children on a waiting list and increasing the limit can aid in meeting this demand.
Finally, the increase in enrollment will provide the revenue stream to provide basic
employee benefits, such as health and dental insurance, retirement plan options, paid sick
leave and paid vacation time. These benefits also ensure retention rates remain high,
corresponding to the higher teaching quality at Treehouse Montessori School.
The building currently has a total of 1,238 s.f. on the ground level (excluding the garage)
and 442 s-L finished in the basement. 11m garage adds an additional 380 sX and is
c unwitly where teachers park. The backyard/outdoor play area. measures 5,362 s.£ and
has a south gate that opens to the grassy field and parking lot owned by Fort Collins
Bible Church (2550 S. Taft Htll Bd., Fort Collins, CO 80524 We are proposing to
convert the garage into additional classroom space (NOTE: we currently meet and
exceed the 35 s.£ per child state standard, mawling 25 students). The conversion of the
guage into more functional classroom space will fir d,= enhance the quality of the
school. The increase in shu ents would require another easily accessible bathroom is
made available to the children. A space adjacent to the current bathroom will be
converted into a small bathroom with a toilet and sink (see attached plans). The
basement is reserved and lacked for storage as dictated by state regulations. There are ho
plans to change the utilization of this space.
The primary problem with converting the garage into classroom space is that it eliminates
the space for teacher parking. Treehvuse Montessori School has a letter of intent from
the Fort Collins Bible Church to use their parsing lot for teacher parking (attached letter).
Teachers will be allowed to park and use publicly accessible sidewalks or public
transportation to arrive at work. Additionally, there are two conveniently located bus
stops on both North and South -bound sides of Taft hill Road Teachers have the added
benefit that both parsing lot and sidewalks are judiciously cleared fallowing any snow
storm. This c un ent agreement with the Fort Collins Bible Church provides parking
access with no additional developments deemed necessary by either the church or by the
school to accommodate this plan.
Increasing the number of children from 15 to 25 potentially adds additional traffic to
Valley Forge Ave. There are, however, several important considerations: 1) Drop-off
and pick-up times are varied over several hours in the morning and afternoon, thus there
has never been a problem with congestion of traffic on Valley Forge Ave. 2) Treehouse
reduces any traffic associated with teachers parking on -sine by having them park in the
parking lot; and 3) There is a lack of additional school traffic on weekends, on school
holidays, or on school snow days.
Project Name: Treehouse Montessori
Project Location: 2013 Valley Forge Ave. Fort Collins, CO 90526
Project Summary:
Tmhouse Montessori School, located at 2013 Valley Forge Avenue in Fort Coffins, is
requesting an amendment approval to increase the number of students from the allowed
15 to a total of 25 students in the existing school. The proposal includes increasing the
indoor classroom space by converting the existing garage, where teachers currently park,
and adding a second child -accessible bathroom. The CEpausion will help the school meet
current demand and provide basic employee benefits while mam ouna the "Home away
from Home" residential characteristic of the school.
Statement of Planning Objectives:
This is a proposal to increase the number of children allowed at Treehouse Montessori
from 15 students to 25. 'h'reehouse Montessori is a preschool for children 3-6 years of
age fi-cmi all ethnic, economic and linguistic backgrounds. The school was established in
2007 by converting a single-family residence into commercial zoning. It should be noted
that prior to establishment of the preschool, the residence had been abandoned or left
empty from spring 2006-summer 2007 and then was a rental property during the summer
2007. During the period it was abandoned and was rented, a general deterioration in the
property occurred and several times police were called to control noise from the renters.
Sim establishment of the school, we have improved the property, resulting in a general
appreciation of the properly. All neighbors ftom whom we have received input are
pleased with the improvement, believe that our school acids value to the neighborhood,
and geaeaahly sopport the e"ansion of the school.
The facility's hours of operation is 7:30 a m_ to 5:30 pm. an Mondays through Fridays.
The school has various pick-rrp and drop-off times diluted throughout the day and, as
such, has not experienced any of the congestive traffic issues encountered by schools
with defined start and stop times. The school is closed on weekends and on holidays that
follow CSU and PSD calendars. And like PSD, Treehouse offers a short program in the
summer. In f rther accordance with these schedules, Treehouse follows the snow day
closures announced by PSD. In addition, Treehouse Montessori School currently
employs 4 teachers and staff members 0 Direchess, I Administratodteacher, 2 WwNng
assistants) with a maximum of 3 employees concurrently working at the f teiility at any
one time.
Our goal is to provide exceptional child care and Montessori education in a "Home away
from Home" environment, while keeping tuition affordable and providing staff
competitive salaries and benefits. The inhtial limit of 15 students was granted to allow
time to see if the school would work in the neighborhood. Treehouse Montessori School
has only received positive support from the neighborhood meeting, and plans to fiuther
cultivate this positive relationship with neighbors by keeping the building modifications
in line with the residential characteristics of this neighborhood. Additionally, the