Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-18-01-150 — ANGELA MEISSNER FOR ABLE CENTER

Request: Special Exception and Variance in the R-1 zoning district as follows: 1) Special Exception to operate a K-12 private school for up to 75 students. 2) Variance to allow unpaved parking to be used by the private school. Note: This is not a charter school. The applicant uses passenger vans to transport a portion of the students to and from school. In 1974, the BZA approved a Special Exception to validate the existing religious institution. In 1997, the site was approved for a 130 student K-8 Charter School. No new exterior construction is proposed. The school will utilize the Sunday School spaces and spaces used by the former Charter School.

Decision: Approved

Hearing: Staff noted that this was not a charter school. Further, it was a school for special needs children. As such, it would operate differently than a traditional school with regard to activities like recess. Staff explained that in 1974, the church had obtained a Special Exception to operate a charter school for up to 130 K-8 students, which they subsequently closed. It was explained that the applicant had outgrown their current location and needed to relocate. They would use the classrooms formerly occupied by the charter school. Hours of operation were off-peak for traffic in the a.m. and p.m. In addition, they intended to use passenger vans to transport between 30% to over 50% of the students. Staff noted that they had received one correspondence in support and one in opposition. The applicant answered questions regarding the queuing use to drop off and pick up the children. There being no one in attendance to speak in support or against the application, the public hearing was closed. The BZA discussed the drop off and pick up plan, including how the vans the school would use would be unloaded and loaded. The BZA determined that the site could accommodate the school, and that the drop off and pick up procedure would evolve as enrollment increases. The BZA unanimously voted to recommend approval.