County commissioners deny Calvary Christian School conditional-use application after hours of debate and public comment

Palm Beach County commissioners on July 13 denied a conditional-use application from Calvary Church to build a K''12 Calvary Christian School on an 18.8-acre site on Indiantown Road in Jupiter Farms after more than three hours of presentations, staff analysis and public comment.

Don Herring, the applicant's land planner, told the board the project had been substantially revised during the review process. "Our open space is 68% of the site," he said, and the applicant had reduced the proposed enrollment to "We're now at 980 and that's codified in in use condition number 1 that's a 20% reduction." Pastor TJ Eve, executive pastor at Calvary Church, described the church's local ties: "My name is TJ Eve, and I serve as the executive pastor at Calvary Church where I've been on staff for the last 17 years," and said church leaders and families have supported the proposal.

County zoning and planning staff recommended denial. "Staff is recommending denial," Matthew Boyd, with the zoning division, told commissioners, repeating the report's finding that the proposal failed multiple conditional-use standards. Planning staff later focused on policy 1.4 of the comprehensive plan, noting that the site is in the rural tier and that the applicant had not demonstrated the change-in-circumstance or local-need evidence staff expected. "Policy 1.4, which states that facilities and services should be consistent with the character of the area," Travis Goodson of the planning division said, summarizing the staff's concern.

Residents who live near the site told the board the scale of a nearly 1,000-student private school would be incompatible with the narrow, largely dead-end Rocky Pines Road and with groundwater drawn from local wells. "Rocky Pines Road is a dead end rural road," Peyton White said in public comment, and multiple speakers raised water and wildlife concerns. Amy Kite, CEO of the nearby Bush Wildlife Sanctuary, warned in person that "This proposed school would significantly impact our operations" and that road-widening and increased congestion could reduce access for injured animals and volunteers.

Supporters argued the county and neighborhood need additional school choice and said the applicant had made concessions. "This isn't a vote against education nor a vote against a private school in the abstract," Matthew Gitkin, who spoke for a group of email supporters, told the board. The applicant team described traffic mitigation measures including an extended left-turn lane on Indiantown Road, two on-site access points, queuing designed to exceed county standards and a potential shuttle program to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips.

Commissioners pressed staff, traffic engineers and the applicant on details including emergency access, the phasing of enrollment (the applicant expects to open a K'— school first and add grades over time) and the permitting path for wells and fire-flow. County water and resource staff said water-use permitting and hydrogeologic review would be required by the South Florida Water Management District and the county health department if the project moved forward.

Following discussion, Commissioner Sacks moved to deny the conditional-use application without prejudice; Commissioner Flores seconded. The motion carried, with Mayor Baxter recorded in opposition. Denial without prejudice means the applicant may return with a revised proposal addressing the board's concerns or new information.

What happens next: the applicant may revise the site plan or operational commitments and seek to return to the board. County staff noted several outstanding permits and agency approvals (water use, fire flow, road/interlocal agreements) would still be required before any construction could begin.

The meeting continued with other agenda items after a brief recess.