Parkland commission advances Somerset Academy master‑plan amendment amid traffic and neighborhood concerns

The City Commission on Wednesday moved a first‑reading ordinance forward that would amend the Mar A Lago master plan to allow Somerset Academy Parkland to expand its campus and increase allowable building area and enrollment.

The ordinance approved for second reading would amend the master plan to raise the maximum permitted square footage on Parcel C from 110,000 square feet to 135,000 square feet, an applicant representative said. The proposal would allow Somerset to add high‑school grades over several years and ultimately seek an enrollment cap of up to about 2,100 students.

Why it matters: The applicant and city staff said the site was originally approved with a substantial set of off‑site traffic improvements and operational conditions that the school has been operating under. Commissioners and residents, however, pressed the applicant on how the additional students and extracurricular events would affect traffic on Hillsborough Boulevard and University Drive, where the applicant proposes a roundabout as part of mitigation.

The presentation and debate: Scott Backman, speaking for the applicant, told commissioners the master‑plan amendment is the first of five discrete applications that will be heard May 20, including a plat‑note amendment, a special exception, a site‑plan amendment and an amended development agreement. “We’re asking to amend the master plan to go from a 110,000 square feet to a 135,000 square feet,” Backman said in his presentation.

Traffic engineer Brian Kelly said the design increases on‑site stacking capacity and alters arrival/dismissal operations to reduce roadway backups. “So we have a 188 vehicles right now. That’s going to 234,” Kelly said, describing an expanded internal queue and a two‑lane bypass to improve processing rates. He also described staggered start times (four pick‑up/drop‑off windows instead of three) and said Broward County has given conceptual approval to a roundabout at Hillsborough and University Drive.

Commissioners asked detailed operational and planning questions: how many high‑school students will drive, whether parking will be enforced, whether off‑site sports and visiting teams will add traffic, and how construction phasing will preserve student safety and recreation during multiple years of work. Staff and the applicant said the development agreement would carry forward monitoring and mitigation measures, including monthly and annual traffic monitoring and code‑compliance remedies if on‑site queuing extends onto public roadways.

Public comment split the room. Residents near the campus asked for enforceable measures to prevent overflow parking and trespass, better enforcement of no‑parking zones and clarity about who will maintain nearby medians. “Traffic at University Drive and Hillsborough Boulevard is already a serious concern,” said Lyorka Chaiban of Mira Lago, who asked that parking, safety and maintenance responsibilities be addressed before expansion proceeds. Dozens of parents and school supporters urged approval, citing the school’s academic record and the benefit of continuity for students who want to remain on a single campus through graduation.

The vote and next steps: On a roll call vote the commission advanced the ordinance to a required second reading on May 20, with four commissioners voting in favor and one opposed. The tally recorded Vice Mayor Breyer as the lone no vote, stating “No with optimistic hope.” If advanced at second reading, the other associated applications will be scheduled and the city will finalize conditions and the language in the amended development agreement.

What’s next: The master‑plan amendment will return for second reading on May 20, when commissioners will again consider the ordinance and will also hear the related quasi‑judicial applications (plat note, site plan, community appearance board and development‑agreement amendments). The applicant pledged to use the two weeks to address outstanding operational and safety concerns raised by commissioners and residents.

Outcome: First reading advanced (vote to move to second reading 4–1).