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Planning staff recommend change of concept to allow Connection Skills for Life learning center at 45 Cavalier
Summary
The city’s planning staff presented a change of concept plan for 45 Cavalier to allow Connection Skills for Life Incorporated to occupy a 5,000‑square‑foot building for after‑school learning for ages 11–21 with high‑functioning autism; planning commission recommended approval and P&Z committee added use restrictions and landscaping requirements.
City planning staff presented a change of concept plan for 45 Cavalier Boulevard that would permit Connection Skills for Life Incorporated to occupy an existing 5,000‑square‑foot building for a learning skills center serving individuals ages 11 to 21 with high‑functioning autism.
Todd Morgan, director of community development, said the site is about 0.88 acres and currently lacks landscaping along the street; the proposal includes a landscape plan to bring the site into greater compliance. The planning commission approved the concept plan and the planning and zoning committee added a condition specifying the exact uses allowed.
Program and operations: staff described Connection Skills for Life as a nonprofit after‑school program; Morgan said the organization would limit occupancy to no more than 30 people total and no more than 10 people per classroom. Morgan said the program is primarily after school during weekdays with one Saturday program per month and that an interior “apartment” shown on the floor plan is a learning prop to teach life skills.
Parking and site considerations: the existing building has 43 parking spaces on site. The planning commission required landscape improvements; the planning and zoning committee removed certain high‑intensity uses from the list of possible future tenants (for example, uses requiring more parking such as a convention center) because the lot is not large enough for such activities.
Next steps: the planning commission’s recommendation and the P&Z committee’s conditions were forwarded to the Florence City Council for final action. No final council vote on the change of concept plan was recorded in the meeting transcript.
