Council approves Middleton School District’s new elementary school CUP with conditions

The Star City Council on Feb. 17 approved a conditional‑use permit for a new Middleton School District elementary school on Kingsbury Road in the Tamore subdivision, voting unanimously after public testimony and a staff recommendation for conditions.

Staff described the site as an 11.35‑acre parcel in an R‑3‑PUD‑FDA zone and said the application meets Unified Development Code and comprehensive‑plan requirements. The district’s first phase is planned as a roughly 39,000‑square‑foot building with a possible later 28,500‑square‑foot addition. "That first phase will be that square footage that I listed," staff said during the presentation.

Amber Van Ore of LKV Architects, representing the district, said the design includes a controlled bus access on Carrera, an interior courtyard and play areas, emergency vehicle access, and 244 on‑site parking spaces — well above the 81 spaces required by zoning. She said budget limits forced the design to combine the gym and cafeteria in phase one: "This will be functioning as both," she told council members.

Neighbors raised questions about irrigation, privacy screening along shared property lines, and the timing of a required traffic signal at Kingsbury and Highway 44. Resident Kenny Littlefield asked whether the district would provide a privacy fence and preserve irrigation access for properties immediately north of the site; Amber said the district has agreed to meet with affected neighbors and that pressurized irrigation designs are being coordinated with the Terramore engineers. "We've already spoken that we'll be going out and meeting with them on site," she said.

Staff and the applicant told the council that the Highway District requires the Kingsbury/Highway 44 signal to be operational before the school can open; the district expects to begin construction in summer 2026 and to spend about a year building the first phase, contingent on approvals and off‑site improvements. Amber said Terramore's road improvements are advancing and that the signalization is part of final‑plat requirements.

Councilman Neielson moved to approve CUP CU26‑01 with conditions that include submission of a fencing plan and an exterior lighting plan prior to building permit, coordination with the Littlefield family to ensure irrigation delivery and screening along the shared property line, and standard compliance with the Unified Development Code. The motion passed on a roll call vote with all council members present voting in favor.

The approval grants land‑use entitlement for the school; the district and applicant must return with building permits and the required design documents. The council noted the project would not be operational until off‑site traffic signalization and final plat conditions are satisfied.