San Mateo Planning Commission backs Cary School's 75-child early childhood center, urges traffic signage review

The San Mateo Planning Commission voted unanimously Dec. 9 to recommend the City Council approve Cary School's proposal to reclassify 2033 LaSalle Drive and permit a new early childhood education center to serve up to 75 children ages 2 to 5.

Staff presented the project as a rezoning from R1B to R1B/Q8 overlay with five entitlements: zoning reclassification, a code amendment to provide standards for private educational facilities, a special use permit, site-plan and architectural review, and site-development approval. Associate planner Simin Zakhovan told commissioners the project consists of a 5,908-square-foot single-story building, 11 on-site parking spaces and use of an off-site lot to meet the city's 23-space parking standard. Staff recommended the commission find the project exempt from further CEQA review under the staff-cited exemptions and forward a recommendation to council with conditions of approval.

Neely Norris, head of Cary School and the applicant, described the school's community role and said the project would expand preschool…