Westville PAC recommends rezoning and development agreement for Highland Consolidated High School site

The Westville Planning Advisory Committee voted to recommend that Town Council bring forward both a rezoning application and a development‑agreement application for the Highland Consolidated High School property to first reading at a special council meeting on March 24, 2025.

Staff presented the master plan and supporting materials, describing the site as roughly 21 acres in the town center and outlining an adaptive reuse of the decommissioned consolidated high school into about 63–80 dwelling units with a potential daycare and smaller commercial or cultural uses inside the converted building. "This is the first application for this property," planning staff (speaker 4) said, and called it "a great opportunity for the town to do some really incredible projects." The staff presentation emphasized walkability, stormwater management, and phasing so the school conversion (phase 1) would be underway before subsequent development proceeds.

Why it matters: staff said the application uses a new Comprehensive Development District (CDD) policy intended to coordinate multiple complementary applications on a single large site, allow the town to attach development agreements to deeds, and require public hearings for each phase. Staff told the committee that using a development agreement rather than a simple rezoning helps prevent later "bait and switch" outcomes because the developer must meet the agreement's conditions or the town has recourse.

What staff recommended and timeline: staff reported no reason to withhold the application and asked whether PAC was comfortable recommending first reading and a public hearing. Committee members discussed timing; staff and Mr. Wiers (speaker 6) said PAC would make a recommendation to council that could be considered at a special council meeting on March 24, 2025. A public hearing and second reading were discussed for April 10, 2025, with the statutory 14‑day public‑notice and appeal periods to follow.

Key provisions in the development agreement: staff reviewed schedules (legal description, master concept plan, conceptual site plan and renderings) and implementation clauses. The agreement would allow the town to use variances and to alter certain bylaw provisions for this project as permitted by the Municipal Government Act. It would require developer‑paid servicing and legal registration costs, and include typical securities (a bond of at least 110% of expected cost) to ensure required off‑site and on‑site works are completed. Staff said the converted school would have a minimum of 1 parking space per 2 units and other residential buildings a minimum of 1 space per unit, and encouraged sheltered secure bike parking and low‑impact stormwater features.

Local details and community safeguards: the staff presentation included an intensity map that limits building scale near existing neighborhoods and increases density toward the site center. The development agreement embeds the master plan objectives (landscaping, buffers, tree retention, pedestrian connections to transit, and narrower roads to reduce vehicle speeds) and requires public hearings for each subsequent development agreement for phased parcels.

Committee actions and next steps: Committee member (speaker 1) moved that PAC accept the staff recommendation to forward the rezoning application (2157 South Main Street) to Town Council for first reading; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. PAC then voted to recommend the development agreement application proceed to Council first reading at the same special meeting on March 24. Individual roll‑call votes were not recorded in the PAC minutes; both recommendations passed on voice votes.

The matter will next appear before Westville Town Council at a special meeting on March 24, 2025, where council will consider first reading and, if accepted, set a public hearing/second reading for the date discussed in the meeting.