Commissioner Johnson welcomed John Tyner II as the newest member of the Planning Commission.
               
REVIEW AND ACTION

Use Permit Application USE2007-00706, Montgomery County Public Schools – for  the renovation and expansion of Fallsmead Elementary School, including site improvements, in the R-150 Zone at 1800 Greenplace Terrace.

Mr. Chasten presented an overview of the staff report.   Mr. Chasten stated that the use permit is submitted in accordance with previously approved Special Exception SPX2006-00367.  The existing school is located on the southeast corner of Greenplace Terrace and Gerard Street.  The school opened in 1974 and is located on approximately 8.9 acres of land and zoned for R-150 (Medium Density Residential) land usage.  The school is located in the Rockshire residential subdivision and has vehicular access on both Greenplace Terrace and Gerard Street.  Single-family detached residential dwellings are bounded by the school property to the north, south and west, and to the east.  The site abuts Rockmead Park.  The existing school is approximately 50,850 square feet in size and serves grades kindergarten through the fifth grade.   

Mr. Chasten stated that the applicant, Montgomery County Public Schools (MPCS) plans to expand and renovate approximately 2,292 square feet of existing space and construct a new one-story addition approximately 14,884 square feet in size.  In addition, under the subject request, MCPS seeks special exception approval for the following building and site development related activities:  a) expand and reconfigure staff and visitor site parking facilities, b) construction of a new on-site bus turnaround loop, and c) new outdoor paved play areas.  As proposed, the building addition will create new classroom space as well as ancillary support space.  Under the request, MCPS will retain the use of the existing modular classrooms currently located on the site.  The modular classroom buildings will be relocated to the rear area of the school and utilized to accommodate students during the construction phase of the project.  The applicant affirms that the modular units are to be eliminated upon completion of the planned school expansion and renovation project. 

The planned building addition and renovation project is designed to accomplish the following:  1) provide new classrooms due to increased student enrollment, 2) eliminate the need for modular/portable classroom buildings, and 3) add kindergarten classrooms for the all-day kindergarten program.  Other core facility and support space will also be created, including an art and music room, a computer lab and an expanded instructional media center.  Other support space for staff offices, storage rooms, and additional restrooms will also be created.  

The school’s on-site parking facilities and vehicular travel ways will be modified to improve safe access for students, buses, staff and visitors.  Under the redesign, there will be a new designated student drop-off/pick-up area located at the east side of the new building addition and installation of a new school bus turnaround constructed in front of the school’s main entrance, fronting Gerard Street.  It is expected that visitors to the school will enter/exit the school’s existing site entrance on Gerard Street.  The school’s designated student drop-off/pick-up will be extended along the eastern side of the new building addition in combination with visitor and some staff parking facilities.  Buses will access the site from the existing vehicular access points on Greenplace Terrace.  Buses dropping-off and picking up students will do so via the new turnaround/loop that will be located adjacent to the front entrance; and exit back onto Greenplace Terrace.  A total of 18 parking spaces including three handicapped spaces will be added to the current 52 spaces, thus creating 70 onsite parking spaces provided under the subject request. 

The school has a current enrollment of 540 students with a staff of 50 employees.  The school has a present program capacity for 425 students.  With the completion of the planned building expansion project, the school’s program capacity is projected to increase to 518 students and have an enrollment of 484 students at the beginning of the 2008-09 school years.  Fallsmead Elementary School is located within MCPS’s Thomas S.Wootton cluster. 

The school’s new expanded parking facilities and new school bus loop will be accessed via Gerard Street or Greenplace Terrace.  The proposed bus turnaround that can only be accessed via Greenplace Terrace has been designed to maintain physical separation between the bus loop and new expanded staff/visitor site parking lot to the east.  Such physical separation of the site’s new staff/visitor parking lot and the new bus loop are designed to ensure that school bus and service delivery vehicles do not interfere with or pose a safety concern to the onsite traffic flow movement of staff/visitor passenger vehicles.  The school is currently served by approximately five school buses.  During the project, the students will remain on site.  The applicant has provided a construction-phasing plan, which denotes projected dates of building and site construction activity and completion.  Construction is expected to begin during the summer of 2007 and completed by Fall 2008. 
Commissioner Hill questioned Recommendation 4g on page 3 of the staff report with regard to providing a turning template for bus and truck movements to demonstrate adequate bus and truck turning radii and stacking space.  He asked staff if that has been done.  Mr. Chasten replied that it has happened and it was affirmed by staff a few days ago.  Commissioner Hill commented that if it had not happened, he would be hesitant to support the first finding on safety. 

Commissioner Hill said that he recalled from the Board of Appeals hearing of this special exception that, based on testimony from some of the residents on Gerard Street, there was an idea that a movable gate could be installed between the bus loop and the driveway.  He noted that the concern from the citizens was that vehicle trips might be doubled on Gerard Street because the only access to the staff and parking driveway was off Gerard Street.  Mr. Chasten said he recalled a concern raised at the special exception stage about the access between the bus loop and the parking area and he thought it had to do more with fire safety issues and access concern.  Mr. Chasten stated that the applicant had testified that it would be possible to install a mountable curb on which vehicles could travel if an access issue occurred.  Commissioner Hill further pointed out concerns regarding bus safety and construction phasing.
 
The Commission discussed concerns regarding traffic, stacking, truck traffic, congestion at the intersections, student capacity, outfall stabilization from stormwater runoff on the site, and bicycle parking.

Mr. Tannir explained that separating the bus traffic from the delivery trucks and the parent drop-offs is a very safe concept for operating the school at the peak hour in the morning.  Mr. Tannir discussed the number of students who would be taking the bus, walking to and from school and those students who would be driven to school.  Therefore, the traffic with regard to the number of vehicles coming to and leaving the school would not be significant to cause any congestion at Gerard Street, or any of the intersections. 

Mr. Tannir said he is satisfied with the traffic analysis performed by the school. 

In response to Commissioner Tyner, Mr. Tannir explained that the projection of enrollment might be on the decline during the next five years.         

James Emr of Smolen & Emr Architects presented the application.  He stated that they worked closely with staff to qualify all of the recommendations and conditions of approval.  Most of the conditions have been dealt with, or are in the process of being taken care of before construction begins.  The school will be in operation during construction.  He noted that the bus loop would be ready in the fall.  Mr. Emr stated that the applicant will be requesting a partial permit for the front portion of the school.  They will follow-up with the second part of the permit when the other conditions have been cleared up.   

Mr. Emr discussed the school population and capacity at the school.  He noted that they would remove five portables from the site.  He said that some of the programs would be moved out and classrooms will resume as classrooms.  They will be increasing the parking from 52 to 70 spaces in order to get as many cars off the street at one time.  Mr. Emr explained the outfall. They had complied with the initial concept that was approved and upon final review by the City, they asked them to make some changes to minimize the amount of trees that would be disturbed.   Mr. Emr stated that the plans have been re-submitted for review. 

Commissioner Britton questioned whether the applicant would consider the use of pervious materials in all of the new parking facilities to help with runoff and to mitigate the environmental impacts.  Mr. Emr explained that they are looking into the matter for some schools, but they have not looked into that for this proposal.  Commissioner Britton asked if the applicant has looked into a pervious surface for play areas.  Mr. Emr replied they have not. 

Mr. Emr addressed the Commission’s questions regarding bicycle racks, fire safety, the separation of a curb and front bus loop, onsite circulation, the number of students riding busses to and from the school and the number of students being driven to and from the school.  

The following citizens testified:

Two citizens, whose children attended Fallsmead Elementary School testified that there are concerns with the queuing on Gerard Street to enter the parent drop-off loop, there should be more points of entry for the parents to the school, a change in drop-off times, need for crossing guards and security presence for children who would be dealing with parent drop-off entry and bus entry, and dropping students closer to the school entrance because it will be a more commercialized environment than it is now. 

The Commission further discussed having safer sidewalks and transport.

In response to the Commission, Mr. Emr stated that they would be providing another entrance off Gerard Street. 

Commissioner Ostell moved, seconded by Commissioner Medearis to approve Use Permit Application USE2007-00706, Montgomery County Public Schools per staff recommendations.  The motion passed unanimously.      

COMMISSION ITEMS

Old Business

Planned Residential Unit PRU2006-0022A, Chestnut Lodge – review of architectural elevations for the Little Lodge, Stable and Ice House.

Ms. Kebba presented the Commission with an update of what the Historic District Commission (HDC) had approved for the subject lot, which includes the Little Lodge with the Ice House and the Stable as an accessory building.  Ms. Kebba presented slides of the buildings.  She said the Little Lodge would continue as a single-family residential house.  The Little Lodge was built in 1929 for Dr. Dexter Bullard, who was the main psychiatrist at the Chestnut Lodge hospital.  There will be a one-story addition on the rear and the existing rear projection will be removed.  The lower right corner is the only other façade besides the rear that would have the addition.  The door above the deck would be enlarged to accommodate double French doors on each side and the railing on the deck would be changed to wood and heightened to meet code.  The addition met HDC guidelines including the Chestnut Lodge Design Guidelines and HDC’s Technical Guidelines for Exterior Alterations.  The addition would be 462 square feet of enclosed space, which is about ten percent of the total house and there is also a covered porch on the west façade.   Ms. Kebba stated that it met HDC’s guidelines because it does preserve the building’s historic materials and features.  Ms. Kebba stated that the Little Lodge is stucco; the new addition will be a hardy plank with some synthetic trim and the roof will be standing seam metal and the windows will be modern aluminum clad.  The foundation will continue to be a brick veneer.  The rehab of the house will follow the HDC guidelines - replace when possible, repair when necessary.  When repairs cannot be made, then there would be replacements in-kind, which means replacing with the same materials and same design.  Ms. Kebba said that the two replacements that would change a little would be on the east façade to enlarge some door openings to accommodate double French doors to allow additional light into the living room and the master bedroom. The applicant intends to remove the incompatible alterations such as the air conditioning unit, the fire escape stairs, the handicapped ramp, and utility conduit.  In addition, the HDC approved installing new exterior storm windows.