Planning commission recommends approval for Math and Science Academy 1,525‑student upper school near Bailey Road

The Woodbury City Planning Commission on Jan. 13 recommended approval of Math and Science Academy’s application to build a new 1,525‑student upper school campus off Bailey Road at Fairway Drive, subject to conditions in the staff report. The project (27‑2024‑00563) seeks a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning from R2 Single‑Family Estate District to R4 Urban Residential District, a planned unit development (PUD), a conditional‑use permit (CUP), a preliminary plat and site‑and‑building plan.

City staff described the site plan and conditions and said municipal utilities from the Bailey Lake residential neighborhood can now serve the property — a change staff used to justify the comprehensive plan amendment. Staff also summarized required traffic improvements, trees to be removed and replaced, and public benefits under the PUD, including a shared‑use agreement for gym space, a new athletic field and replacement of Mile Drive with a 10‑foot city‑owned trail corridor.

Why it matters: The proposal would relocate MSA’s grades 6–12 campus to a larger site and increase upper‑school enrollment from about 730 students at the existing facility to 1,525 at the proposed campus. The project adds new vehicle traffic, a signalized intersection at Bailey Road and Fairway Drive, and a community athletic field that will be available under a shared‑use agreement with the city. Commissioners scrutinized traffic queuing, on‑site parking and the adequacy of landscaping and noise/light mitigation for adjacent homes.

Key project elements and conditions

- Enrollment and schedule: The applicant seeks approval for a campus sized to serve about 1,525 students. The proposed daily schedule for the new school is a 9:20 a.m. start and a 4 p.m. release; staff said the staggered times are a required condition of approval and must remain unless the City Council and staff approve an amended CUP.

- Traffic and circulation: The applicant must construct a new traffic signal at Bailey Road and Fairway Drive, reconstruct Fairway Drive to align with the signal, add a right‑turn lane into the site, and complete signal synchronization work with the adjacent Bailey‑Pioneer signal. Staff said the traffic study evaluated the proposed staggered start/end times to avoid overlap with East Ridge High School and estimated the full pick‑up queue would clear the site in about 30 minutes. The plan provides approximately 3,200 linear feet of on‑site vehicle stacking (staff said there is roughly 1,000 feet of slack above the study’s recommended minimum). The CUP and conditions prohibit vehicle stacking on Bailey Road and require an internal traffic‑management plan to prevent backups onto the public roadway.

- Parking: City ordinance requires 320 spaces for the proposed uses; the applicant proposes to construct 277 spaces and provide proof of parking for the remaining 43 spaces as a condition. Staff and commissioners discussed how on‑site operations and permit systems for student drivers would be used to prevent overflow parking in adjacent neighborhoods.

- Busing and travel modes: Dr. Kate Hinton, executive director of Math and Science Academy, said, "Approximately 60% of our students ride the bus. About 35% are dropped off by parents," with a small share driving themselves. Commissioners and staff noted those ratios could change once expanded parking at the new campus is available and that any addition over 10% in building square footage would trigger a new traffic study and CUP review.

- Site design and PUD flexibility: The PUD requests flexibility from the city’s usual building‑material standards (the applicant proposes about 40% Class‑1 materials and 50% Class‑2 precast instead of the city’s typical 65/35 split). Staff said similar materials were approved previously for other local school projects; the applicant’s precast includes thin brick detailing intended to mimic traditional masonry.

- Athletic field, lighting and sound: The athletic field design includes a 315‑seat bleacher (no press box). Staff conditions require field lighting to be downward‑directed and shielded; staff recommended a 50‑foot maximum pole height to match the adjacent sports center, while the applicant’s plans initially showed 70 feet. Commissioners also required limitations on outdoor loudspeakers: speakers must be located on the south side of the field facing north and turned off when not in active school programming.

- Landscaping and trees: The applicant submitted a tree removal and landscaping plan; staff reported removals fall within the city’s 30% canopy‑removal threshold and that the school would add 126 trees on site. Commissioners pressed for additional evergreen screening along the south and southeast property lines near Brockton Drive and Boston Road to mitigate noise and light for nearby homes. Staff proposed a revised condition requiring additional evergreen plantings and supplemental overstory trees; the final landscaping plan must meet city ordinance standards and gain written approval from staff.

- Other site work: The applicant will remove Mile Drive because it does not meet Washington County access spacing requirements and will build a Boston Road cul‑de‑sac to the school property line; the cul‑de‑sac will be dedicated to the city.

Timeline and next steps

The applicant said, if approvals are secured, it plans to close financing and begin construction in April of the year following approval and aims to open the new campus for the 2026 school year; staff noted the traffic study assumed full buildout demand would be reached by 2027 and that construction of the required signal and other improvements will be scheduled during project permitting. Commissioners asked that construction‑traffic routes and hours be coordinated with Washington County and city engineering to avoid peak school periods.

What speakers said

- Ashley Bizner, owner’s representative for JB Vang Partners, said project team members worked with staff on the traffic study and site design and "feel like we've addressed [traffic] thoroughly with the site design."

- Dr. Kate Hinton, executive director of Math and Science Academy, provided the ridership breakdown quoted above and noted most student drivers are upper‑grade students; she said the school expects enrollment demand at the future elementary conversion of the current campus.

- Several residents and commissioners raised concerns about PA noise, athletic‑field lighting and screening for nearby houses; commissioners recommended additional evergreens and placement restrictions for speakers. Commissioner John Jarrett, who said his backyard overlooks the site, recommended that speakers direct sound west toward existing athletic fields rather than north toward residential areas.

Vote and disposition

At the close of the hearing, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of project 27‑2024‑00563 with the amended conditions drafted by staff; another commissioner seconded the motion. The planning commission voted to recommend approval; the record in the transcript does not list a roll‑call vote by name. The file will proceed to the Woodbury City Council public hearing on Jan. 22.

Ending

Staff and the applicant will return to the council with the recommended conditions and the CUP for final action. Several commissioners asked staff to monitor implementation details — especially the traffic‑management plan, proof‑of‑parking measures and final landscaping — during permitting and prior to issuance of land‑disturbance or building permits.