Laserfiche WebLink
<br />• School, Elementary and Junior High. At least one (1) parking space for each classroom plus <br />one (1) additional space for each fifty (50) student capacity. <br />• Office Buildings, Medical and Dental Clinics, Animal Hospitals and Professional Offices. <br />Three (3) spaces plus at least one (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area. <br /> <br />Based on 312 students, 14 classrooms, and 2,000 square feet of office area, city staff has calculated <br />that 36.25 off-street parking spaces shall be required. These provisions do not account for special <br />events or guest/visitor parking. Regardless, planning staff believes there is sufficient parking with the <br />dedicated spaces on the south side of building and the row of spaces that will remain on the north <br />property line. That will leave 69 off-street parking spaces, plus two handicap spaces. A few spaces <br />may need to be converted to handicap in order to meet code requirements so that number will fluctuate <br />slightly. <br /> <br />Planning Staff has reviewed the site layout and flow of traffic presented by AFSA. The applicant has <br />indicated in their narrative that 75% of their students at this location arrive via the bus transportation <br />provided by the school. However, at full capacity that leaves an estimated 78 students that arrive via <br />parent drop-off and pick-up. The site plan submitted does not show how these passenger vehicles will <br />maneuver through the site. The narrative explains the morning arrival and afternoon pickup occurring <br />within an approximate 30 minute window. That will likely be the same time schedule with parents <br />dropping off their kids. With bus stacking on the north side of the building, staff is assuming that the <br />south entrance would be used for parent drop-off/pick-up. There is an estimated 175 feet between the <br />entrance of the building and Country Drive pavement. This leaves enough area for stacking of roughly <br />eight to nine passenger vehicles before traffic is backing up into Country Drive waiting to access the <br />site. Staff acknowledges that the morning traffic may move more quickly, but overall we are <br />concerned about the impacts of drop-off/pick-up traffic flow and pattern with the limited area. <br /> <br />In addition, AFSA has a staggered system for loading school buses at the end of the school day which <br />results in only four school buses at each location. One of the concerns of staff is how that bus traffic <br />flow occurs in the morning drop-off with all eight buses. There is only room for four buses to stack on <br />the north side of the property. Within the window of time drop-off will occur, how will the school <br />ensure that buses are not stacking along the west side of the property thereby blocking access? <br /> <br />Currently AFSA is renting office space from R&S Automotive for overnight storage of their buses. <br />The applicant has indicated that five buses will be stored on the Little Canada site during the day, but <br />the narrative does not confirm overnight storage. From previous discussions, staff is aware that <br />outdoor storage was of interest to AFSA so they didn’t have to rent the additional space. The applicant <br />should confirm whether or not they are seeking overnight outdoor storage of the buses on this property. <br /> <br />The City Engineer has also reviewed the materials submitted by the applicant and shares these same <br />above concerns. With the additional information that the school will need to submit, the City Engineer <br />is requesting the size of the buses and vans used for transportation. Additionally, he is requesting the <br />school provide turning radius information in order to verify the buses can safely maneuver in the traffic <br />pattern as shown on the site plan. A traffic study should be completed that provides details on stacking <br />of vehicles during the pick-up/drop-off times. <br /> <br />Lastly, the site layout shows temporary traffic cones being set up when the play area is in use and <br />removed when that area is being used as the designated bus lane. Several questions arise when we <br />look at how this area serves as multi-functional. One concern is without removing the parking stripes, <br />how will visitors/parents know they are not to use this area for parking when the cones are not present?