Belmont council approves Charles Armstrong School expansion after weeks of review and hours of testimony

The Belmont City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 10, 2026 to approve amendments to the Charles Armstrong School’s conceptual development plan and to advance related entitlements, including the detailed development plan, conditional use permit, design review, grading permit and tree removal permit. Staff recommended the actions and asked the council to find the project exempt under CEQA (the transcript cites "CEQA guideline 15 3 1 4"). The motion passed by roll call, 5–0.

Staff summary and entitlements: Assistant Planner Jeremy Ruiz told the council the proposal at 1405 Solana Drive would be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 is an academic wing of roughly 11,900 square feet (targeted for 2026). Phase 2 is an athletic building of roughly 11,100 square feet (projected 2031–2032). The school seeks to increase its enrollment cap from 260 to 290 students, raise faculty/staff cap from 76 to 85, keep on-site parking at 85 spaces, extend weekday operational hours to 7 a.m.–10 p.m. (one hour later than current 9 p.m.) and obtain weekend staff access to campus from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (the applicant clarified the request is for staff access; McDougall Park would remain public and non‑exclusive). Staff…