Traffic Impact Study Delays Construction Plans
North Valley Christian Academy is proposing to construct a separate early education center on a parcel of land it owns just north of 27th Drive and Westland Road, but before preliminary site approval can be granted, the City of Phoenix is requiring that the school submit a sealed traffic impact analysis.
There was initially some confusion with whether the new building would require a rezoning on the land as questions surrounding the existing zoning and permitted use for a pre-school arose during the preliminary site plan review with the City’s Planning & Development Department site plan review team, on June 17. However, according to an email from City’s Planning Department received by Valley Vibe, the zoning administrator has since determined that rezoning is not required for the early education building since it would be operated by NVCA and function as part of the existing campus, and it is not an independent, standalone preschool.
The plan for the expansion, according to NVCA’s Head of School, Chris Schoenleb, is to build a relatively small, early childhood development center to house preschool and kindergarten classes with approximately 100 children.
“All we’re doing is basically taking and separating those grades into another building on another parcel…. we have an instructional curriculum… this isn’t really childcare,” said Gary Yiatchos, who presented at the meeting on behalf of NVCA.
NVCA says it performed a traffic analysis on its own, but not as a requirement by the City of Phoenix Traffic Department, to address concerns of traffic issues and complaints from neighbors.
“The parking study that we did was to bring answers to those issues… let’s call it for what it is – the neighbors don’t like to have a school in their backyard or the traffic… it comes down to a handful of neighbors to keep this spin going,” Yiachtos said during the meeting. “We are entitled as a school to build on that parcel,” he added.
He said the campus would be self-contained so no students would be crossing Westland Road, and that it would ultimately help improve traffic flow, as traffic from the current south campus would be moved to the north of the intersection of 27th Drive and Westland Road which serves as the entry point to Carefree Crossing and Amber Hills neighborhoods.
Nearby neighbors have spoken out at previous meetings as well as at the June 17 meeting, saying that without a light at the intersection and the addition of No U-turn signage, they don’t see how the situation will improve.
The project was put on a time extension until a traffic analysis is submitted and approved by the Streets and Transportation Department.
By Karen Goveia
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