In a July 30 public hearing on Country Day’s request to modify its Conditional Use Permit (CUP), zoning administrator Evan Compton of the City of Sacramento said he would issue a decision in about one week.
Country Day’s request includes increasing allowed building space from 71,140 square feet to 81,879 to replace the Multipurpose Room and middle school “L” building with two-story structures, raising the total enrollment cap almost 10% (from 544 to 596), extending the term of use of two portable high school buildings, clarifying the count of parking spaces on campus and reducing off-site parking spaces.
Making Country Day’s case during the hearing, head of school Lee Thomsen said, “We make a difference. We’re asking to make a difference in more students’ lives.”
Thomsen noted that it would take five to 10 years to replace the MP Room and middle school building and at least seven to 10 years to reach the proposed new cap of 596 students.
Several neighborhood residents expressed concerns about traffic. Country Day’s request states that traffic levels have remained at or under 1995-96 levels, as required by the Sierra Homeowners Agreement to reduce off-site parking. Thomsen also said Country Day has agreed to pay $150,000 for a proposed traffic signal at the intersection of Munroe Street and Latham Drive.
— By Nihal Gulati
