Council approves Calvary Chapel Plantation expansion, site plan and two landscape waivers after traffic and queuing concerns

After a quasi‑judicial public hearing, the council approved a conditional-use modification, site-plan and landscape-waiver requests from Calvary Chapel to expand its Plantation campus with roughly 10 classrooms and 14 offices.

Dan Holmes, planning director, said the chapel’s worship hall remains unchanged and the expansion amounts to a net increase of about 16,866 square feet, bringing the site to approximately 42,707 square feet. "It also includes a site plan, elevation, landscape plan approval to construct 10 new classrooms and 14 general offices resulting in a total of, 42,707 square feet," he said.

Neighbors and residents raised traffic and parking concerns, asking how morning preschool drop-off would queue without backing up onto West Broward Boulevard and whether a coordinated schedule with the adjacent American Heritage campus was in place. The applicant said drop-off would primarily use 118th Avenue and that morning windows would be managed; staff noted the traffic study concluded projected operations would not create unacceptable impacts and that the city will revisit operations after construction if problems occur.

Council approved the conditional-use request, site plan and two landscape waivers by roll call. Council asked staff to continue coordinating with the applicant and Broward County on a potential flashing beacon for the nearby crosswalk and to monitor queuing after the campus opens.