Planning commission approves Rosemont High School expansion; residents press traffic concerns

The Rosemont Planning Commission on March 17 approved a site plan and building design to allow Independent School District 196 to renovate and expand Rosemont High School, including a new activity center, a three‑story classroom addition that the district says will add capacity for about 300 students, and a new parking lot that adds 60 stalls.

The vote followed a public hearing in which parents, nearby residents and a neighboring business owner raised repeated concerns about morning and afternoon vehicle backups on South Robert Trail, Chile Avenue and adjacent neighborhood streets. Commissioners and city staff said the city is coordinating with MnDOT and the district but emphasized that some traffic management decisions lie with the state and the school district.

Julia, city planning staff, told commissioners the project site sits on about 70 acres in the public institutional (PI) zoning district west of South Robert Trail and east of Carols Woods Park. The proposal includes a new activity center east of the existing building connected by a skyway, a three‑story classroom addition northwest of the existing structure, renovations to food service and library accessibility, and expanded circulation in existing courtyards. The plan meets PI zoning setbacks and other design standards, Julia said.

The district and its consultant told the commission the 60‑stall parking lot will raise on‑site parking from 948 stalls to 1,008. Julia and staff said the city's off‑street parking standard for secondary schools is one stall per 20 students; the high school currently has 2,114 students and 81 classrooms, which the code calculation yields about 187 required stalls, well below existing supply. The expansion itself requires 27 additional stalls, and the proposed lot provides 60.

Pete Roback, principal at Rosemont High School, told the commission the district prioritizes a “safe and orderly experience” for student drivers. Roback said the school's pre‑COVID enrollment once neared 2,500 students, and that enrollment fell after boundary changes three years ago. He described a parking hierarchy that ensures seniors can park, extends permits to many juniors and runs a lottery for tenth‑grade drivers. Roback said some of the 60 new stalls are likely to be used for evening and event parking tied to the activity center rather than daily student parking, and that construction staging is planned around MnDOT’s roundabout project.

Multiple residents and the owner of a nearby auto lot urged the city to address chronic backups. Todd Franz, owner of South Metro Auto Brokers at 13942 South Robert Trail, said traffic onto Highway 3 often forces vehicles to wait at his driveway and that he has observed several accidents in front of the school in the past year. Nicole Benson, president of the Glen Rose condominiums, said adding 60 stalls could worsen morning backups that already make left turns from neighborhood driveways difficult.

Kathy Toussnot and Cindy Gibson, long‑time residents near Chile Avenue and 140 Second Street West, described on‑street parking, speeding through residential intersections and trash or property impacts from past student parking. Toussnot asked whether construction crews will park in the neighborhood; Principal Roback replied that heavy construction staging is expected to use the new roundabout once it is finished and that summer pre‑work will be limited to surveying and fencing.

Commissioners asked for more district input on anticipated enrollment growth and operations. Commissioner Reid and others urged the district to explain whether the expansion will substantially increase the student population or primarily provide space for existing students. Roback said enrollment dropped after boundary changes and that the district does not expect an immediate surge that would overwhelm parking, though student driving levels remain a concern.

Julia and other city staff noted that MnDOT is scheduled to construct the roundabout at South Robert Trail and 140 Second Street West starting June 9, and that the city is coordinating staging and timing with the district and MnDOT. Staff said the roundabout construction is planned for summer and hoped to be complete before the first day of school; during roundabout work, Chile Avenue will serve as the primary access to the campus.

Commissioner Biedner moved, and Commissioner Reid seconded, approval of the site plan and building design to allow ISD 196 to renovate and expand Rosemont High School subject to Conditions 1–5. The motion passed by voice vote; the commission announced the decision is final unless appealed to city staff within 10 days.

The project also includes landscape and lighting plans. Staff reported the landscape plan shows about 1,542 trees on site, exceeding the required 1,510; 26 trees will be removed and the plan replaces 134 trees. Lighting for the new lot will use LED poles up to 25 feet with motion sensors that dim to 15% when no occupancy is detected. The new activity center elevations show a mix of architectural precast concrete, brick and metal panels, and the classroom addition will be primarily brick to match the northern exterior.

The commission and city staff repeatedly distinguished the project’s design and zoning review from broader traffic and operations issues. Staff said ongoing monitoring between police, public works and the school is the principal mechanism for addressing neighborhood impacts; some road operations (South Robert Trail) are a state responsibility through MnDOT. City staff advised residents to contact public works or the police department for specific questions about traffic monitors, enforcement or detour plans during roundabout construction.

The commission approved the site plan and building design. The expansion is expected to begin preliminary site work (surveying and fencing) in May–June, with heavy construction staged after the roundabout is available; Principal Roback estimated construction would take about 2½–3 years to complete.