Planning commission approves final site plan for Goddard School at Rock Ridge; occupancy tied to backbone improvements

The Riverton Planning Commission approved the final site plan for a 12,000‑square‑foot Goddard School to be built at Lot 8 in the Rock Ridge master plan, but included conditions that could delay occupancy until related backbone infrastructure is installed and the subdivision plat is recorded.

Staff presented the site plan and said the single‑story building meets code requirements and includes two separated outdoor play areas (with sod in the play areas), shade structures, 42 parking stalls (meeting the city’s parking requirement for the use), perimeter lighting arranged to avoid spillover onto adjacent homes, and an 8‑foot masonry wall where the site abuts residential property to the east and south. Tim (planning staff) said the applicant and architect had revised lighting and grading to minimize impacts on nearby residents and that building materials include brick, stone and fiber cement panels.

The state fire marshal reviewed the project and the commission asked staff to confirm whether the building would be treated as a K‑12 school under state standards. Staff reported the state fire marshal determined the project is licensed as a daycare (local jurisdiction) rather than a charter or public school, so state school‑building requirements (for example, additional safety retrofit provisions) do not apply at this time.

Applicant Robert (Bob) Santo and architect Jerry Desario described the design as a Goddard corporate prototype and said the facility would include infant through kindergarten classrooms and an indoor gym; Santo said the planned capacity is approximately 180 children. The applicant told the commission the developers expect a gradual ramp‑up in enrollment and that shared access and backbone improvements in Rock Ridge will influence the timing of full operation.

Because Rock Ridge phase‑one backbone improvements and a subdivision plat recording are not yet complete, staff included a condition that occupancy of the Goddard School may be limited, delayed or withheld until the shared access roads and utilities shown in the Rock Ridge phase‑one final site plan are installed and accepted by the city. The commission adopted staff’s recommended conditions 1–12 and approved the site plan; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff said no building permit will be issued until the Rock Ridge subdivision plat is recorded and the phase‑one improvements that are required to serve the school are in place or otherwise guaranteed.