Town council to approve Montessori expansion

Tonight’s Chapel Hill Town Council public hearing is the next step in Montessori Community School’s plans for expansion.

Based on the idea that children learn from each other, Montessori operates as a private school off Pope Road.

The school plans to demolish its existing gymnasium and fine arts building to build a new gymnasium and fine arts building and a middle school classroom building.

Tonight’s public hearing concerns the school’s application for a special use permit, required before construction can begin.

“We want to create an environment where the classroom extends outdoors,” said Barbara Crockett, head of the school. “It’s going to expand our classroom environment.”

Crockett said the new middle school building will allow the school to add seventh and eighth grade programs.

The school also plans to expand the school’s parking lot, enlarge two playing fields and build two wetlands to be used for educational purposes and storm-water management.

Crockett said the wetlands will be educational and good for the environment.

“They’ve been designed to really reduce storm-water runoff to pre-development levels,” she said. “It’ll create living laboratories for our kids.”

Chapel Hill’s Land Use Management Ordinance requires the town manager to evaluate special use permit applications.

Town Manager Cal Horton’s report on the school’s plans, which states that the application complies with town standards, will be presented at tonight’s hearing.

The council also will hear input from citizens and representatives from the school.

Based on this information, the council must decide whether the application meets four findings necessary for approval related to the welfare of the surrounding community and the compliance of the plans with the ordinance.

Crockett said the school has been working with neighbors in planning the expansion and has alleviated community concerns by agreeing to certain construction hours and buffers for parts of the property.

“Over the course of all this, plans have been modified here and there,” she said. “My sense is that many of the issues have been negotiated.”

Concept plans for the expansion were first presented to the council in October 2003.

Crockett said the expansion will promote the overall mission of the school.

“The buildings are going to become part of the curriculum themselves because we think that’s the future,” she said.

Tonight’s hearing will begin at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Crockett said the council is scheduled to make its final decision regarding the permit April 4.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.