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767 N. Eustis St., Ste 190 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651.642.9200 popedesign.com Memorandum Date: 11/30/23 (Revised 05/06/24) Re: Liberty Classical Academy: Phase 1 – Lower School Addition 10158 122nd St. North Hugo, MN 55308 <br /> Project No. 41129-23027 Subject: Liberty Classical Academy Narrative for City of Hugo and May Township To: Rachel Juba, City of Hugo Nate Sparks, May Township From: Elise Kelly, Pope Design Group Mike Brandt, Kimley Horn Mitchell Cookas, Kimley Horn Jacob Rojer, Kimley Horn Jeff Ledin, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. Rebekah Hagstrom, Liberty Classical Academy The following narrative outlines Liberty Classical Academy’s intent to meet approval criteria set forth by the City of Hugo and May Township for their Site Plan and Conditional Use Permits. It also highlights Liberty’s commitment to fulfilling these criteria through a comprehensive breakdown covering various subjects. This narrative is intended to complement the design documents and drawings. Current Use: Liberty Classical Academy offers private education for Pre-K through 12th grade using a classical education model integrated with faith-based principles. Liberty is distinguished by its close-knit community and smaller class sizes compared to most public schools. Liberty’s student population for phase one is projected at 306 students and is not projected to go beyond 850 total students in their full master plan. This is to ensure the promise of intimate class sizes. Currently, the school is renting out classrooms in White Bear Lake’s Church of St. Pius X for their 3rd- 12th graders. Recently the school acquired the formerly abandoned Withrow Elementary School in Hugo, renovating it to provide a welcoming new entry to house their pre-K through 2nd graders. Liberty’s goal is to eventually transition all students onto the Hugo campus. To develop a Master Plan for their Hugo site, Liberty retained Pope Design Group as their architect, conducted multiple community meetings, and engaged stakeholders with anonymous surveys and user group interviews. This ensured diverse and inclusive feedback to guide the planning process, resulting in plans for a lower school addition, a commons building with upper school and middle school wings, a chapel, playing fields, and public-access walking trails throughout the rural site. The entitlement applications listed above seek approval of only the initial phase of this master plan, with the comprehensive plan acting as context for future expansions.