2017.04.18 Planning - Laserfiche WebLink

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Narrative United Seminary has been located at the corner of Stinson Boulevard and 5th Street Northwest since a Special Use Permit was approved for the Seminary in 1961. However, in recent years reductions in enrollment and dramatic changes in the way graduate education services are provided have drastically reduced the Seminary’s space needs and have made it imperative that the Seminary repurpose some of its campus in order to survive. The Seminary has looked at a number of options, including selling part of the campus for residential development or other institutional uses, but has focused its marketing efforts on finding a kindergarten through 8th grade school to lease a portion of the campus. City Staff has advised that a Special Use Permit will be required for a K-8 school. Therefore, the Seminary submits this application for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow a K-8 school with a maximum of 300 students to locate in two of its existing buildings. Although the Seminary has had discussions with potential charter school tenants, it has been unable to enter into an agreement with a school to date, partially because it does not have approval for a K-8 school on the campus. Having a Special Use Permit in place will greatly improve the chances of finding a school to lease space to. The request is for a Special Use Permit to remodel all of the existing 17,800 square foot McMillan Center building (“2-level building” on the attached Site Plan) for classrooms, and to remodel portions of the lower two floors of the 28,800 square foot Spencer Library Building (“3-level building” on the Site Plan) for a gymnasium and lunchroom space. Proposed floor plans showing the configuration of the classrooms in the McMillan Building and the lunch room and gymnasium space in the Library are attached. The remaining space in the Library Building will remain the Seminary Library and offices. The Seminary will also retain the classroom building and two chapels to the south, and the residence hall to the north. No changes to any of these buildings are proposed. The request is for a Special Use Permit to convert just the McMillan Building and portions of the Library Building to a K-8 school. The only exterior improvement to the Seminary campus will be an outdoor play area, as shown on the attached Site Plan. Students will walk from the Cafeteria in the Library Building down a walkway and around the McMillan Building to the play area. They will be able to return to their classrooms via the sidewalk on the north end of the McMillan Building. A charter school is a public school. Similar to other public schools, almost all students of a charter school arrive and depart by bus. Based on discussions with potential school tenants, the Seminary estimates a maximum of 15 bus trips each morning and afternoon, and about the same number of car trips for the few students that don’t take a bus. All school traffic will enter the Seminary campus from 5th Street NW and proceed to the drop-off/pickup area long the west side of the two school buildings. Traffic will then exit the campus onto Stinson and turn south to 5th Street NW. It is not anticipated that a K-8 school would have any significant after school or sports activities. It is also not anticipated that the school would use Driftwood Park and no approval is being sought to use the Park. The Campus has adequate space for the occasional recreational activity that would require space beyond the proposed playground area.