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Agenda Item 11.

Planning Commission

Meeting Date:

09/24/2019

Subject:

CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. CUP 19-04 - A REQUEST TO OPERATE A PRIVATE SCHOOL (K-12) WITHIN AN EXISTING CHURCH BUILDING LOCATED AT 1200 W LAMBERT ROAD, LOCATED IN THE C-P (PD), COMMERCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICE (PRECISE DEVELOPMENT) ZONE

REQUEST

A request to operate a private school (K-12) within an existing church building located at 1200 W Lambert Road, located in the C-P (PD), Commercial, Administrative and Professional Office (Precise Development) zone.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends the Planning Commission approve the draft Resolution approving Conditional Use Permit No. 19-04, subject to the listed conditions.

BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION

BACKGROUND
The subject site is located on the southwest corner of Lambert Road and Puente Street, see Figure 1 – Vicinity Map. This 3.17-acre parcel has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Office/Financial and is zoned C-P (PD), Commercial, Administrative

and Professional Office (Precise Development). The site is currently improved with a 24,954 square foot church and a 170 space parking lot that is accessed by a driveway on Lambert Road and a driveway on Puente Street (see Figure 2 and Attachment 6 – Project Plans).

DISCUSSION
The proposal is to operate a private school, Veritas Academy, within the existing church building. Veritas Academy currently operates in the City of Fullerton, however the school desires to relocate to the City of Brea (See Attachment 5 – Project Description). The Brea Municipal Code allows private schools to operate in the C-P (PD) zone, subject to the approval of a Conditional Use Permit. The applicant’s proposal is to have the school utilize existing classrooms on the first and second floor of the building, when the church is not utilizing the space. The church uses these classrooms on Friday evenings and on the weekends. These times will not conflict with the school’s hours of operation. The school will provide kindergarten through 12th grade education to approximately 90 students. There will be 12 teachers and five staff members. Classes are in session from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the staff and faculty being on the site from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The school will operate entirely within the existing building by utilizing the existing classrooms and offices. For physical education the school will utilize the southern portion of the parking lot, which has an existing basketball half court and a handball wall. The area will be closed off from vehicle access and parking during school hours. To address drop-off and pick-up, Staff has included Condition g and Condition h to require a Circulation Management Plan to be reviewed by the City Engineer and to address any queuing impacts, should they occur.

The operation of the school will not conflict with the church operations. Church activities are primarily on the weekends, but worship service is also provided 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Since the school and church activities do not overlap, Staff does not anticipate any impacts created by the combined uses on the site.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

The proposed project as submitted is exempt from the requirement of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 of Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 19 of the California Code of Regulations.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED

Jennifer A. Lilley, AICP, City Planner
Prepared by: David Blumenthal, AICP, Contract Planner

Attachments
1. Technical Background
2. Vicinity Map
3. Public Hearing Hotice
4. Draft Resolution
5. Project Description
6. Project Plans