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Planning commission backs Montessori middle school at Long Hill Road with two-year lapse condition
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a special-use permit allowing Williamsburg Montessori School to operate a middle school at 4871 Long Hill Road, capping enrollment at 25 students and modifying a condition so the permit would lapse after two years of nonuse rather than one.
The James City County Planning Commission on Oct. 2 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a special-use permit for Williamsburg Montessori School to operate a middle school at 4871 Long Hill Road, the site of Wellspring United Methodist Church.
Staff told the commission the 7,647-square-foot building has a mix of gravel and paved parking totaling 105 spaces and is located inside the county’s Primary Service Area. The application would allow up to 25 students in grades 7–8, employ two full-time and two part-time teachers, and operate Monday–Friday with instruction roughly from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Staff recommended approval subject to conditions in the meeting packet.
Commissioners questioned a proposed condition that would cause the special-use permit to lapse if the school ceased operations for one year. Deputy County Attorney Liz Parman said use permits are tied to the use, not the entity, and that state actions during the pandemic provided precedent for extensions in some cases. Several commissioners suggested the lapse period risked unfairly penalizing a future temporary closure, and Commissioner Polster moved to recommend approval with a modification extending the lapse period to two years. The applicant signaled assent during the hearing.
Commissioner Polster’s motion carried on a roll-call vote: Haldeman Aye; Polster Aye; Rogers Aye; Everson Aye; O'Connor Aye. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
Staff contact information and the packet include the full list of conditions, schedule of operations and site plans; the commission did not receive public comments on this application at the hearing.
