McCall City Council approves conditional use permit for school expansion, directs staff to prepare findings

McCall — The McCall City Council on March 12 approved CUP-25-02, a conditional use permit that allows an approximate 6,800-square-foot physical expansion of an existing school to add classrooms and flexible space, after the council reviewed additional notice materials and transportation clarifications. The motion directing staff to prepare findings and conclusions consistent with council deliberations passed unanimously (5–0).

City planner Meredith Todd told council the record included a March 11, 2026 letter from the school district’s counsel addressing public-noticing questions and transportation exactions. City attorney Bill Punkiny said staff had received sufficient evidence that notice was mailed and recommended the council accept the letter into the record. "My recommendation for the council would be that you take notice of the letter dated March 11th, 2026 from Mr. Brett Walther and his attachments and that it be included in the record," Punkiny said.

The project architect, Travis Burroughs of Design West Architects, told council the applicant followed standard mailing procedures. "We did follow... standard procedures for mailing," Burroughs said, noting returned mail occurs but that the applicant had complied with the required steps.

School representatives also spoke. Jason Clay, the district’s director of operations, said the district posted notice at the school and filed affidavits confirming newspaper notice. Tim Thomas, superintendent of the McCall School District, told council the district had committed funds toward a future intersection improvement related to broader transportation needs: "We have committed $400,000 to help with the intersection," Thomas said, later noting a preliminary estimate of $394,700 as the district’s contribution estimate.

Council members reviewed the city’s 12 CUP criteria one-by-one, generally accepting Planning & Zoning’s findings that the expansion would be harmonious with the civic zone, would not cause harmful environmental consequences, and would not unduly increase public costs. Council also discussed a traffic-trigger mechanism in the approval: if the school’s enrollment reaches the 851 threshold identified in the conditions, the permit would require amendment and would return to a public hearing process, which several council members said provided appropriate public review.

One council member raised the Dinehard extension history and said a prior, more expansive extension appeared disproportionate to the present project; council members noted that the current approval explicitly does not include any Dinehard extension and that any future transportation-triggered changes would require renewed public process.

With no revisions to the recommended conditions of approval, a motion "to approve CUP-25-02 and direct staff to prepare findings and conclusions consistent with the council's deliberations" was made and seconded and carried on a roll-call vote: Thrower — yes; Nelson — yes; Mayor Nielsen — yes; Giles — yes; Machzic — yes.

Next steps: staff will draft the formal decision document and findings for council signature and inclusion in the project record.