Escondido planning commission approves Bear Valley Classical Academy expansion with crosswalk staffing condition

The Escondido Planning Commission on Jan. 28 approved a conditional use permit modification, a major plot plan and a major design review to allow Bear Valley Classical Academy to expand its campus at 2950 Fair Valley Parkway, increasing on-site staff capacity and adding a new multipurpose building. The motion passed on a roll-call vote; Commissioner Stevie moved approval and Commissioner Macarro seconded.

Staff said the project would raise maximum on-site staff from 30 to 70 and increase on-site student capacity from 400 to 505 while the school’s total enrollment (including students served off-site through a combination/home model) could reach as many as 1,230. Alex Rangel, assistant planner for the City of Escondido, told commissioners the proposal includes a new two-story multipurpose building of roughly 6,600 square feet, conversion of about 2,100 square feet of existing residential structures to classrooms and placement of two 8-by-40 cargo containers for storage.

The commission attached a condition requiring the school to staff the high-visibility crosswalk on Gretna Green and Canyon Road during peak drop-off and pick-up hours; commissioners said that requirement should follow the property if operations change hands. "We usually have at least 2 out there," Mark Calpageon, identified himself as chief operating officer for Classical…