Council approves special-use permit for Yhale Academy in River Green despite traffic concerns

Duluths Mayor and Council on April 10 approved an ordinance (O2023-15) granting a special-use permit to allow Yhale Academy, a dual-language charter school, to relocate to 4450 River Green Parkway in the River Green Industrial Park. The motion passed 4-1, with Councilmember Harkness voting against.

The Planning Director, Forrest Huffman, told the council the application seeks M-1 zoning with special-use authorization because charter schools are not a typical light-industrial use. He and staff noted charter schools generally generate additional vehicle trips because they typically do not provide bus service and recommended conditions including right-in/right-out circulation and prohibitions on stacking vehicles on River Green Parkway.

The applicant nd representative Melody Glouton (Andersen, Tate & Carr) said the school is moving from a roughly 20,000-square-foot site into a proposed 50,000-square-foot building and anticipates growth of about 100 students per year over three years, with a projected maximum enrollment in the 600—700 range. She told the council the school currently employs 42 staff who park on-site and that the city nd school will finalize a traffic-circulation plan; staff said enforceable markings and a traffic plan are conditions the city can require and rescind if violated.

Resident commenters emphasized safety and congestion. Mariam Mirzoyan urged safeguards for playground protection and said parents might park off-site and walk in, creating hazards. Business owner Christian Olteanu asked the council to postpone approval until a traffic-impact study is completed, noting other nearby development could add trips.

Liza Park, governing-board chair for Yhale Academy, defended the school nd cited state performance data: "The overall score from last year was 93.9%," she said, adding the school offers before- and after-school programs and is prepared to stagger drop-off times to reduce peak congestion.

Council discussion centered on whether the special-use conditions and later comprehensive-plan work would adequately address broader circulation issues in River Green. Councilmember Harkness said the site is "not the best use but an acceptable use" while expressing continued concern about emergency-vehicle access and afternoon traffic impacts on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Councilmember Graeder observed that a typical commercial tenant with 200 employees could produce similar congestion and urged long-term planning for River Green rather than treating this parcel in isolation.

The council approved ordinance O2023-15 (mover: Whitlock; second: Doss). The approval includes the special-use conditions described by staff; Huffman said violations could lead to rescission of the permit. The council did not require an immediate, standalone traffic-impact study as a condition of approval; staff indicated the River Green Parkway review scheduled as part of the comprehensive-plan update would consider wider circulation needs.

Next steps: the applicant will finalize the traffic-circulation plan and required permits (including playground/site permits), and staff will monitor compliance with the special-use conditions. The council vote was the final local land-use decision recorded at the April 10 meeting.