Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-17-07-062 — AZALEA PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Request: Special Exception in the R-3 zoning district to operate a private school for up to 80 special needs students.

Decision: Approved

Hearing: Staff noted that the proposed school would be for autistic children, and as such, would not have the same impacts on the neighborhood as would a traditional school. There will not be any new construction associated with this request, as the applicant will be using existing space used for such activities as Sunday school or Bible studies. Staff concluded by adding that five (5) nearby residents submitted correspondence in support of the request. One (1) nearby resident submitted a correspondence in opposition due to a belief that the school would utilize federal funds, which is not within the scope of the BZA's review. In addition, letters and petition with signatures of 42 residents in support from the area were also submitted. The applicant stated that they were in agreement with the staff recommendation and conditions of approval. They added that the target population was actually children who live in the immediate area. The BZA asked if the increase in traffic would have a negative effect on the streets in the neighborhood. Staff noted that traffic would be looked at during the review of the use permit. They added, that while there would be some impact on the a.m. peak hour, there would be no impact on the p.m. peak hour, as the school day would have already ended. In addition, it was noted that there was more than sufficient room on the site for drop off and pick up. The BZA concluded that the proposed school will be beneficial to the neighborhood, that the impacts would be minimal, and that the request met the criteria for a special exception.