Commission approves holdover charter‑school use on Maryland Parkway with 600‑student cap and one‑year review

The Clark County Planning Commission approved a holdover special use permit on Nov. 4 to allow educational uses in existing office buildings along Maryland Parkway, with conditions intended to manage traffic and protect younger students.

Architect Michael Livingston presented the proposal to convert several vacant office buildings into charter school space, emphasizing existing parking capacity and prior approvals for Building B. He said potential programs include elementary and middle school uses with separate play areas and fencing to separate age groups.

Commissioners focused on circulation, queuing and the mix of age groups on a single campus. The commission approved the use permit but not the design review as submitted; staff had recommended approval of the use permit and denial of the design review pending circulation adjustments. The chair’s motion limited initial occupancy to 600 students (elementary + middle school only), required staggered start and end times to reduce queuing, prohibited direct access from Maryland Parkway (circulation to use Escondido and other internal drives), required a one‑year review after certificate of occupancy to verify circulation performance, and allowed the applicant to return to request increases later based on successful operations.

Commissioners said the conditions strike a balance between reusing vacant buildings and minimizing traffic impacts. The applicant acknowledged that final tenant charters must secure state approvals and that building permits and a traffic study may be required for circulation and pick‑up/drop‑off operations. The commission’s approval was recorded as final action unless appealed; the item will be forwarded to the BOCC for information.