2018.05.15 Planning Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 Planning Director Janice Gundlach reported the applicant has made application for the following land use requests: • Special Use Permit – to allow a 480 student, pre-kindergarten thru eighth grade school to operate out of the existing buildings (known as the United Theological Seminary) at 3000 5th ST NW and to allow construction of a new gymnasium, and • Preliminary & Final Plat – to allow creation of one additional lot containing the dormitory building at 575 Stinson Boulevard NW. Planning Director Gundlach stated the requested Special Use Permit would essentially replace the previously approved Special Use Permits from 1961 (Ordinance 122) and 1974 (Resolution 1465), which were specific to a “theological seminary”. The request would also replace the 2017 Special Use Permit (Resolution 2017-025), which approved a 300 student, kindergarten thru 8th grade school. Planning Director Gundlach explained the applicant is Global Academy, which is a 450-student charter school, currently operating out of an existing strip mall in Columbia Heights at 4065 Central Avenue NE. They have a purchase agreement with the seminary to purchase the building and land associated with 3000 5th Street NW that they would use to relocate their school and expand by 30 students by offering preschool. The existing landowner, United Theological Seminary, would retain the dormitory building. In order to realize this arrangement, the property must be subdivided into two lots on one block (known as a Plat), creating a parcel to sell to Global Academy and creating a parcel that United Theological Seminary would retain. Planning Director Gundlach commented two other points worth noting are the 2017 Special Use Permit was never acted on and it expired on April 20, 2018. Secondly, the applicant held a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, May 3rd where the neighbors within 350’ were invited to an informational meeting at the seminary to learn about the request and ask questions in advance of the Planning Commission meeting and public hearing. Staff recommends approval of the Special Use Permit, Preliminary and Final Plat, subject to the following conditions: 1. The special uses (dormitory & educational buildings) operate in compliance with the representations made within the materials attached to the Planning Report dated May 15, 2018. 2. The school is limited to grades pre-kindergarten thru eighth grade and not to exceed 480 students in total. 3. Any playground structure erected shall meet the 30’ setback requirement of Zoning Code Section 4-030 (1). 4. No exterior sound system, such as bells, are used on site. 5. No school activities are held between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. 6. Compliance with the recommendations made in the interoffice Public Safety Memorandum dated May 9, 2018. 7. Compliance with the recommendations made in the interoffice Public Works/Engineering Memorandum dated May 11, 2018. 8. The building on Lot 1, Block 1 is permitted to operate as a dormitory but units may only be leased to students and faculty of the educational uses represented at 575 Stinson Boulevard or 3000 5th Street NW. 9. The residential dormitory continues to obtain an annual Rental Housing License per Chapter 13 of the City Code and management staff of the residential dormitory provides City staff with the opportunity to examine dormitory and educational facility records in order to