Auburn School District seeks rezoning and PUD amendment for new school campus

Steven Sturzna, assistant director of community development, told the Council at the Sept. 8 study session that the Auburn School District applied for a site‑specific rezone and a major PUD amendment to enable construction of a new school campus. "Camie Anderson with Schockey Planning Group on the behalf of Auburn School District submitted an application to rezone parcel 0004200001, from the current R‑2 residential low zone to P‑1 public use zone," Sturzna said, and added the parcel is about 35.2 acres and is proposed as part of a campus that would include an elementary, a middle and a high school and would serve as a replacement for Cascade Middle School.

Sturzna said the hearing examiner held a public hearing on Aug. 20, 2025, closed the record that day, and on Aug. 27 sent a decision recommending approval of the rezoning from R‑2 to P‑1. He also described a related application—the major amendment to the Lakeland Hills South PUD—to extract 14 parcels totaling approximately 43.6 acres that the school district owns. "The site is no longer intended for residential development. Instead, it is intended to be developed for an Auburn School District school campus," Sturzna said; he told the Council the PUD amendment similarly was heard by the hearing examiner, who recommended removing the 14 parcels from the PUD.

Sturzna and other staff explained that the proposed land‑use and zoning map amendments would convert the neighborhood residential designation and R‑2 zone to public/quasi‑public and P‑1 to allow the school campus and related recreational uses. The hearing examiner noted that PUD benefits and amenities should be reviewed to determine if any were lost by extracting the parcels; staff reported that the specific residential areas removed from the PUD had no proposed amenities on the final development plan, and that a school campus would provide active and passive open space for the community.

Council members asked about project timing and funding. Council member Tracy Taylor asked whether construction had started; Sturzna replied, "They've already started discussions, but that will be up to the Auburn School District." Jason Crum, community development staff, told the Council the district is working on funding through bond measures and that the district’s desire is to get buildings approved while funding is pursued. There was no council action recorded at the study session; the record before the council contains the hearing examiner’s recommendation and the closed hearing record. Any approvals by the City Council or subsequent permits will depend on future Council action and the district’s funding plans.