Planning commission backs Alpine School District high school site change at Ensign Drive and Mountain View Corridor

The Saratoga Springs Planning Commission on a unanimous vote forwarded a recommendation to the City Council to amend the general plan land‑use map, rezone and accept a concept plan for Alpine School District’s High School 7 at the northwest corner of Ensign Drive and Mountain View Corridor.

Planning staff said the request would change a 61.61‑acre portion of the larger site from planned community and low‑density residential (general plan) and from planned community and agricultural zoning to the city’s Institutional Civic classification, which the staff report says is intended to allow public and quasi‑public uses such as K–12 schools, libraries and public facilities. Senior planner Jelen said the concept plan included a three‑story academic building, parking counts and conceptual elevations; the concept plan is nonbinding and many items are listed as “shall comply” to be resolved at site plan review and via a development agreement.

The change was moved by Commissioner Hill and seconded by Commissioner Mangum; the motion called for approval “with the findings and conditions in the staff report” and passed unanimously. The commission heard no public comments at the hearing.

Frank Polley, director of facilities for Alpine School District, appeared for the applicant and confirmed the district’s timeline: the school is planned to open in the fall of 2028. Planning staff and the applicant are working on a development agreement to address conditions listed in the staff report, including utility and traffic items that must be resolved before final approvals.

Commissioner Hill said he visited the site and pressed staff on transportation mitigations. Hill asked whether the city “trades out” land classifications when making a general plan change; planning staff explained the city’s practice is to amend the plan as a legislative action and that the high school use would also have been allowed within the planned community zone. Hill emphasized traffic access and asked about Bonneville Drive’s extension to Silver Lake Parkway, noting that the extension would reduce wait times by providing an alternative to Mountain View Corridor and spread traffic onto adjacent streets. Staff responded that the city’s transportation master plan shows the Bonneville Drive extension and that the Bonneville/Silver Lake connection is intended to provide access from nearby communities.

Staff noted multiple engineering and transportation items on the “shall comply” list that will be addressed in the development agreement and subsequent site plan submittals. The concept materials included conceptual floor plans for all three levels and a three‑story elevation schematic; staff reiterated those plans are conceptual only.

Action taken: the commission forwarded a recommendation for approval of the requested general plan amendment, rezone to Institutional Civic and accompanying concept plan for Alpine School District High School 7, with conditions and findings as listed in the staff report. The commission’s motion identified the staff report’s conditions as the basis for the recommendation; the development agreement is expected to accompany the rezoning and will be taken to City Council.

The commission excused one commissioner for a conflict and had no public input on the item.