Planning commission approves Integrity Charter School campus at National City Boulevard with traffic and safety conditions

The National City Planning Commission on Sept. 16 approved Resolution No. 2024‑13, granting a conditional use permit for Integrity Charter School to redevelop 229–241 National City Boulevard into a new K–8 campus projected to serve up to about 440 students and employ 60–65 staff.

Assistant Director of Community Development Martin Reeder summarized staff’s recommendation, telling the commission the 38,000‑square‑foot site is currently in disrepair and the proposal would retain and remodel the existing 229 National City Boulevard building as a multipurpose facility while demolishing and replacing the remainder with up to 21 classrooms. “With all of the recommended operation and improvement measures, we are confident that the school will be able to operate effectively and with minimal impact,” Reeder said.

Staff’s traffic and parking analysis found the project would be screened from significant vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT) impacts under CEQA because a school is a local‑serving public facility within a half‑mile of high‑quality transit. Reeder also said one nearby all‑way stop (Osborne Street and Division Street) showed potential level‑of‑service degradation in the study but that a signal replacement — funded in the City of San Diego’s capital improvement program and scheduled for 2026 — would mitigate the impact.

To manage circulation, staff recommended and the commission conditioned approval on several measures: two designated pickup/drop‑off zones (one on A Avenue sized to hold an estimated four vehicles at once and a second on East 3rd Street sized to hold about eight vehicles), converting East 3rd Street to westbound one‑way between A Avenue and National City Boulevard, converting parallel curb spaces to angled parking to net roughly 30 additional spaces, and improvements such as bulb‑outs, high‑visibility crosswalks and additional stop signage. Reeder said 27 parking spaces would remain available at the school’s existing campus and that a near‑by, four‑block survey identified about 250 on‑street spaces.

Commissioners asked detailed questions on hours, circulation, and safety. Commissioner Sanchez pressed on peak‑hour effects and whether nearby housing development had been included in the traffic modeling; Reeder said the analysis considered nearby projects when feasible but noted that, under CEQA rules, the project is screened from VMT impact analysis as a transit‑served public facility. City Engineer Steve Manganell told commissioners that 25‑mph school zone signage could be installed by Public Works and would be placed prior to opening. “Those signs could actually be approved under my authority and installed by our public works staff,” Manganell said.

The commission also included security and noise mitigation conditions. Staff recommended increasing a north‑side wall from the existing 4‑foot concrete with 2‑foot iron to a 6‑foot concrete noise‑reducing wall, and required a lighting and security plan that could include cameras and other reasonable measures to limit loitering. Reeder said the applicant and staff have coordinated with T‑Mobile about relocating the wireless equipment into the new building, but any carrier CUP would be a separate approval.

Architect Joseph Martinez, representing the applicant, presented renderings and said the design would create a visible gateway for the north part of the city. The applicant’s director, Vanessa Hart Sanchez, told the commission that about half the school’s students currently live in National City and that several students walk to school.

Commissioners closed the public hearing, then voted to adopt Resolution 2024‑13. The motion carried unanimously with Commissioner Armenta recused. The approval is subject to the listed conditions (traffic and pedestrian improvements, parking conversions, a security and lighting plan, required engineering and fire department conditions, and any other standard conditions of approval). The notice of decision will be forwarded to the City Council as required.