Kettering council hears appeal of Archbishop Alter High School parking expansion; neighbors raise safety and green‑space concerns

Kettering City Council on Oct. 8 heard testimony and public comment on an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of a conditional‑use permit to expand the front parking lot at Archbishop Alter High School.

Tom Robillard, director of planning and development, told council the expansion was reviewed across the zoning criteria in section 1153.08 of the Kettering zoning code and that the Planning Commission approved the change with conditions after two public hearings and an independent traffic analysis. Robillard said the approved plan was modified by the applicant to preserve multiple large oak trees and that the parking count was reduced from 173 to 164 spaces.

The Planning Commission’s conditions include directional signage and on‑site circulation changes (one‑way inbound from David Road, two‑way on Renwood, and counterclockwise flow inside the northeast lot); a recommendation to stagger school start and end times (minimum 20‑minute morning and 25‑minute afternoon gaps relative to Saint Charles Elementary); a 60‑foot extension of the median on David Road at the northeast entrance; a requirement that parking‑area lighting be turned off each evening by 10 p.m. unless the lot is in specific use; preservation of two…