Planning staff presented a request from Cooper Christian Academy to phase construction of campus improvements and to remove a planned sidewalk segment to Bethany Lane.

Nut graf: Staff and the preplanning committee were generally comfortable allowing the school to phase construction, but several commissioners opposed removing the planned sidewalk. Members raised concerns about evacuation, pedestrian safety and continuity of the city’s sidewalks and asked that any change to the pedestrian connection return to the planning commission for approval rather than be handled administratively.

Planning staff noted the city’s site-plan validity period (18 months) and said the applicant had indicated phased construction could extend beyond that period; commissioners asked staff to confirm how vested rights and phasing interact with the city’s timeline. Staff also noted that sidewalks and multimodal connections are part of the Madison Street character-area recommendations in the comprehensive plan. Commissioners asked that, if the applicant seeks to remove or relocate the sidewalk, the change should be treated as a substantial site-plan amendment requiring commission review. The discussion ended without a formal motion; staff will provide clarifying guidance to the applicant and advise whether an application to phase or amend the site plan must return to the commission.

Ending: The applicant will be advised about the commission’s preference to retain the sidewalk; if the applicant requests removal as a formal amendment, the commission expects that application to return for review.