Planning commission approves performing-arts center and field house additions to Mount Winchester High School

The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 8 approved two separate applications for an expansion at Mount Winchester High School, including a 20,500-square-foot performing arts center and a 20,100-square-foot indoor, 50-yard turf field house.

Staff member Mr. Moore presented the site-development and final-development plans (SDP-25-008 and FDP-25-004), noting the property is in split zoning and that the final-plan portion was donated to the schools as part of the Villages of Westchester development. Mr. Moore said the applicant proposes new parking and landscaping, including 141 total trees (45 replacement trees and 100 new plantings) and a dry retention basin to manage stormwater. "The performing arts center will have a larger parking lot…a net of 303 new spaces, for a total of 445 just within this zone," Mr. Moore said during his presentation. He also described a smaller 32–34-space lot centered around the new field-house improvements and said metal wall panels for the field house are "noted to match the existing field house."

Commissioners asked about ballfield lighting, the new buildings’ color and siding, construction traffic routing and project timing. Mr. Moore said construction traffic and precise routing will be reviewed during civil-engineer review and that the siding panels were shown to "match the existing field house" on the submitted plan. Commissioners discussed whether matching the visible color across the campus should be required.

Miss McDonald moved to approve SDP-25-008 as presented; Mr. Palsgrove seconded. The roll call recorded yes votes from Donahue, Gooden, McDonald, Palsgrove, Waldhuller and Deeds and SDP-25-008 was approved.

For the final-development plan, Mr. Deeds moved to approve FDP-25-004 "with the stipulation that we have the field house matching the existing building" and to have the applicant work with staff on exact colors during technical review; the motion was seconded by the chair and carried by unanimous roll call. After the vote Mr. Moore clarified the commission’s condition applies to the metal siding and that roof color is a separate matter for later review.

Both approvals were granted as separate motions; staff said civil engineering and technical reviews will follow before permits are issued and that the timing for field and facility availability remains subject to construction schedules and weather.