Chickasha council approves use-on-review for EPIC Charter School microsite at Ponderosa Drive

The Chickasha City Council voted to approve Ordinance 2025-01 on Oct. 27, 2025, granting Epic Charter School a use-on-review permit to operate microsite learning centers at 2439 and 2449 Ponderosa Drive.

The ordinance allows Epic Charter School to use two tenant spaces previously occupied by a Kiowa gaming office as a microsite where enrolled students and teachers will meet in person periodically. The decision follows a public hearing at which a representative for Epic described the program and answered council questions about capacity, student makeup and community impact.

Luis Jericho, a representative of Epic Charter School, told the council the charter operates online and serves roughly 35,000 students statewide. He said about 1,600 of those students live within a 30-mile radius of Chickasha and that the Ponderosa Drive site can accommodate about 50 students at a time. “We are a public school. We get funds just like every other school,” Jericho said, describing weekly in-person meetings and additional tutoring resources the school provides.

City planning staff told the council the C-3 zoning district does not typically allow schools, which is why Epic sought a use-on-review. Planning staff said Epic initially described the space as an office during permitting, but inspections showed classroom setups, prompting the use-on-review process. Planning staff also confirmed that the use-on-review does not change the underlying zoning; if Epic vacates the property, the site would revert to standard C-3 uses.

Council members asked about parking, drop-off logistics and whether the site would create a daily carpool flow typical of traditional schools. Staff noted the site is not designed for a full-time school pickup/drop-off pattern but that Epic described staggered, appointment-style in-person use rather than a once-a-day mass arrival. Jericho said the site was built out for security and connectivity and that Epic invested several hundred thousand dollars in preparing the space.

After public comment and council questions, a motion to approve Ordinance 2025-01 carried on a roll call vote. The council did not change the zoning map; the permit is tied to Epic’s occupancy and will revert when the use changes.

The ordinance approval allows Epic to continue operating the microsite while the city retains normal C-3 allowances if the space later changes tenants.