Woodbury council approves Math and Science Academy upper-school campus, OKs rezoning and PUD

WOODBURY, Minn. ' The Woodbury City Council on Jan. 22 approved a package of land-use actions to allow Math and Science Academy (MSA) to build a new upper-school campus that would house grades 6 through 12 and eventually serve about 1,525 students at full capacity.

City planning staff told the council the applicant requests a comprehensive-plan amendment to change the site's designation from single-family estate to public/semi-public, rezoning from R-2 (single-family estate) to R-4 (urban residential), a planned unit development (PUD) that grants limited architectural flexibility and a conditional-use permit for a school. "Math and Science Academy has submitted application for a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning, planned unit development, a conditional use permit, preliminary plat and building plan for a new charter school serving grades 6 through 12," Eric Searls, a city planning staff member, told the council at the start of the hearing.

Why it matters: the proposed campus would allow MSA to expand enrollment from roughly 730 students today at its Radio Drive site to a total capacity of about 1,525, relocate the upper grades, and convert the existing building to elementary school use. City staff, the Planning Commission and the council framed the application as providing public benefit through shared use of the site's gym, athletic fields and parking with the city's parks and…