Council approves private K–12 school site with 40-car on-site stacking plan

Council approved an application for a private K–12 school to operate from an existing building along a commercial corridor after staff said the site already has a building, parking and an on-site vehicle stacking plan that can accommodate roughly 40 cars for drop-off and pickup. Planning staff recommended approval, saying the application is not anticipated to adversely affect surrounding properties.

At a council Q&A, staff told members private schools do not typically require a city school zone and affirmed that the applicant’s traffic plan prohibits vehicles from stacking onto adjacent streets such as 4th Street or Markwell. David Herron, who identified himself as head of school at Antioch Christian Academy, said the school anticipates an enrollment of about 300 students (preschool through 12th grade) when it moves to the site.

Herron described existing operations at a different site and confirmed that the new location will serve current grades immediately. Planning staff and council members also discussed student drivers and the mix of membership and scheduled arrival times; staff reiterated on-site measures to avoid curbside stacking.

The motion to approve carried on the council vote called by the clerk. The approval permits the private school use at the site; any changes that materially alter operations or traffic patterns could require further review by staff or the council. The applicant may proceed with next steps required by city processes.