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Planning board backs Green School rezoning and expanded campus, recommends conditions
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Summary
The West Palm Beach Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend City Commission approval of a rezoning and amended site plan to expand the Green School campus to a 5.3‑acre CPD with a 340‑student cap, new athletic and academic buildings, and 131 parking spaces; staff recommended approval subject to conditions to be finalized before commission review.
The West Palm Beach Planning Board voted unanimously April 21 to recommend that the City Commission approve a rezoning and amended site plan to create a unified Green School campus and expand campus facilities.
The board’s recommendation covers planning board case 1879D, which would rezone roughly 5.3 acres from General Commercial to Commercial Plan Development (CPD), authorize new accessory structures including a three‑story, about 30,000‑square‑foot racket center with subterranean parking and a roughly 25,000‑square‑foot academic building, and set a maximum student enrollment of 340.
Applicant John Schmidt, agent for the owners, told the board the rezoning lets the school consolidate multiple lots into one unified site, gain flexibility for historic buildings that don’t meet current codes and avoid repeated variance requests. “We respectfully request your approval this evening,” Schmidt said, outlining on‑site staging for drop‑off and a proposed deceleration lane to reduce curbside congestion. He said the applicant will provide more than the required parking: 131 spaces where 94 are required.
Staff recommended approval subject to conditions. Senior planner Centini told the board the application met the amendment and CPD standards in the city’s zoning land‑development regulations and that interdepartmental and county traffic reviews had been completed; staff’s recommendation included conditions listed in the staff report dated 04/17/2026, with a few items the applicant asked to tweak in final language.
Nearby residents asked questions during public comment. Jim Malloy, who identified himself as a Flamingo Drive neighbor, said the school has been an asset but worried about long‑term consequences of rezoning: “What happens if Green School decides to move in five years — does the zoning stay with the new use?” Malloy asked. Denise Sprague, head of the Green School, replied that 340 will be the absolute maximum and described the school’s small‑school model and athletic focus (tennis, golf and sailing), saying the tennis programming is for enrolled students.
Schmidt said any increase in enrollment above 340 would require repeating the public review process — technical compliance, neighbor notice and public hearings before the planning board and City Commission. The board’s motion found that the application complied with the cited ZLDR standards and recommended approval subject to the staff conditions; the motion passed unanimously.
The recommendation advances the project to the City Commission, where final approvals and any refined conditions will be considered.
