DeKalb planning commission recommends rezoning and special‑use permit for therapeutic day school at 315 North 6th Street

DeKalb — The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to recommend that City Council approve a map amendment to rezone a portion of 315 North 6th Street from Light Industrial (LI) to Light Commercial (LC) and to grant a special‑use permit allowing a private therapeutic day school to operate at the site.

The motion, made by Commissioner O'Flaherty and seconded by Commissioner Wright, followed presentations from the applicant and city staff and a brief public comment in support. The recommendation includes conditions: the applicant must secure a lease for an off‑site parking lot at the southwest corner of Oak Street and North 6th Street, restrict employee parking to on‑site or the leased lot, install UDO‑compliant directional signage to guide bus and car circulation, and limit enrollment to a maximum of 100 students ages 3–21.

Lindsay, the applicant’s representative, said the site consists of about 1.81 acres and already contains a one‑story building with classrooms, multipurpose rooms and therapy spaces. "The applicant would serve 100 students here and have a maximum of 64 staff members," Lindsay said, describing planned interior upgrades but no major exterior changes. Teresa Smith, deputy superintendent and regional vice president of Specialized Education Services Inc., described the organization’s model of partnering with local school districts to provide classroom instruction and therapeutic supports for students who cannot be served in traditional settings.

City planner Dan summarized staff’s review and recommended approval with conditions, noting the applicant submitted turning‑radius drawings and parking analyses. Dan told the commission that recent site observations (partly obscured by snow) showed limited curbside availability and that combining the north parking lot (approximately 40 spaces) with the proposed leased south lot (about 50 spaces) would meet the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) formula for the requested enrollment cap. He asked the commission to add the 100‑student maximum to the motion as an additional condition.

Randy Bordajis, representing the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb, offered public support and thanked the city for securing parking arrangements near the property.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to DeKalb City Council for final action. The staff record and the commission’s motion reference a site plan dated 11/05/2025 and exhibit materials submitted with the application; the council will consider those materials and the conditions the commission attached when it reviews the rezoning and special‑use requests.