Title
SP 2022-02, Franklin Academy, 18800 Pines Boulevard, site plan amendment. (Joseph)
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION / BACKGROUND:
Consilium Atlantic, Inc., agent for property owner Alliance XII, LLC, is requesting consideration for the following applications related to the expansion of the existing Franklin Academy school campus:
• Site plan consideration for the construction of a gymnasium building with 16 classrooms on a vacant +- 4 acre parcel to the east of the existing school. Site plan request to include site modifications to the existing school site to accommodate the expansion. The expansion of the campus will result in a total campus area of 11.08 acres.
• Special exception consideration for school expansion resulting in increase of student population from a maximum of 1,340 to a maximum of 1,860 students.
Franklin serves a K-8 population and will remain servicing these grades only with this expansion.
Franklin Academy was approved by City Commission at its January 5, 2011 meeting (SP 2010-15). A playground canopy addition was approved in 2011.
The subject +-4 acres of school expansion area is located on the adjacent Minnaugh Plat. The Minnaugh plat currently allows for the development of up to 122,000 square feet of school use.
BUILDINGS / STRUCTURES:
The proposed two story gymnasium / educational building will be 35’ in height (highest point) and 24,282 gross square feet in area. The following is a breakdown of uses within the building:
• Gymnasium and Support 10,807 GSF
• Locker Room 2,343 GSF
• First Floor Classrooms (8) 5,566 GSF
• Second Floor Classrooms (8) 5,566 GSF
Additional unenclosed area of 4,800 GSF
First Floor Covered Walkway 2,150 GSF
Second Floor Covered Walkway 2,150 GSF
Unenclosed Stair 500 GSF
Both the classrooms as well as the gym entry will be accessible via the covered walkways listed above.
The applicant proposes the following color selections for the building to match the existing school multi-colored color theme. Base colors include the following selections from the Benjamin Moore Historical collection of paint:
• HC-3 Greenmount Silk
• HC-4 Hawthorne Yellow
• HC-9 Chestertown Buff
• HC-97 Hancock Gray
• HC-98 Providence Olive
• HC-99 Abingdon Putty
• HC-117 Hancock Green
• HC-123 Kennebunkport Green
• HC-124 Caldwell Green
Scupper / Downspout / Architectural Trim / Columns - White
ACCESS:
Access to this site will remain through the existing main entry on Pines Boulevard as well as an access road to the west of the school.
The new site plan allows for the redesign of stacking lanes for arrival and dismissal of students. Multiple stacking lanes and parking will be added to the east parcel. The changes, as proposed, will result in a queue increase of internal school stacking for cars from 2,635 linear feet to 5,500 linear square feet resulting in a 108% increase of stacking available for pick-up and drop-offs.
The school has updated its Operational Management Plan to reflect the new vehicular stacking expansion proposed by the applicant which will incorporate several strategies to improve efficiencies of the drop off and pick up traffic. Highlights include:
• Staggered start/release times
o Grades K-5 drop off - 7:00 am to 7:30 am
o Grades K-5 pickup - 2:15 pm
o Grades 6-8 drop off - 8:00 am - 8:30 am
o Grades 6-8 pickup - 3:15 pm
After care provided up to 6pm daily (Monthly Fee)
The new plan also provides for a staff of 11 staff members to be present at specific stations on site to direct school queuing efficiently. The staff include the following positions:
• 1 intersection manager - Directs traffic at north side entrance.
• 2 merge managers - Manages areas on plan where cars need to merge together.
• 7 loading staff - Deliver students to vehicles
• 1 Bus lane manager - Prevents cars from entering bus lane.
The plan includes the use of a law enforcement officer to control traffic at the Pines Boulevard entrance during regular pick up and drop off hours.
Franklin also utilizes an application called DashPass which assists parents and the school in efficient loading of the children.
The Operational Management plan also provides specifics regarding the following topics:
• Pre-first School Day Activities
• Car rider drop-off policies
• Car rider Pick-up policies
• Bus rider Pick-up / drop-off policies and procedures
• Emergency procedures
• Yearly review by the City and school on effectiveness of operations
A traffic / stacking study has been performed by Kimley Horn analyzing traffic expansion and operations as a result of the increase in student population and proposed modifications. The traffic study concludes that the proposed modifications will more than accommodate the increased vehicle demand proposed under this application.
The traffic / stacking study and traffic operations plan have been reviewed by the City Engineering department with the following outstanding comments to be conditioned to the plan:
1. Maintaining the City of Pembroke Pines Police/Traffic Control Officer at the Western (Arrival) Driveway/Pines Boulevard Median Opening to continue to facilitate the westbound left turn and eastbound right turn movements into the Western (Arrival) Driveway to minimize vehicular traffic queues within Pines Boulevard during peak arrival and departure periods and to insure safe and orderly turning movements.
2. Modification of the existing westbound left turn lane within Pines Boulevard, associated with the Western (Arrival) Driveway, to maximize the overall ‘Storage Lane’ contingent upon the Florida Department of Transportation’s approval of such modifications.
The City will require the applicant to relocate of any trees impacted by the above traffic modifications to the subject site in locations to be approved by City landscape staff.
The school has also agreed to prohibit vehicular access to the school from SW 186 Avenue.
PARKING:
The applicant will provide 239 parking spaces in total for this school where 239 spaces are required based on existing and proposed uses.
SIGNAGE:
No new signage is proposed for the school or site with exception to an address number on the new gym/classroom building.
LANDSCAPING:
The following landscape is being proposed for this site:
• Installation of 98 trees, 4465 shrubs and 6329 square feet of groundcovers. Primary species of trees include Gumbo Limbo, Bald Cypress and Simpson Stopper. Primary species of shrubs and groundcover include Golden Creeper, Dwarf Pitch Apple and Red Tip Cocoplum.
Staff requests the applicant install the eastern bufferyard (fence and landscape) adjacent to the Estancia community prior to issuance of a building permit for vertical construction of the building. This will allow the buffer to establish while the site is under construction.
OTHER SITE FEATURES:
The subject gym / classroom site will be illuminated by a series of black full cut off LED fixtures mounted atop 25 foot concrete poles.
As requested by the Estancia community, a 5’ black vinyl chain link fence will be installed along the length of the east property line to prevent pedestrians from cutting through the Estancia reserve and wetlands on their way to and from school. In addition, fencing will be provided to secure the newly created wetlands mitigation area at the southeast corner of the site.
Mitigation for this site has also been satisfied through the purchase of wetlands mitigation credits from the Pembroke Pines Mitigation Bank. (Letter from Consilium 8/2/22).
PHASING:
The applicant provides a letter (Consilium 8/2/22) indicating phasing of project. The existing school site circulation will remain as is for the 2023 school year. After the spring 2023 school year ends, the driveway and parking areas will be accessible. The gym building will be ready for fall of 2023. A separate letter (Consilium 7/27/22) indicates that the school will not impact student occupancy from current levels until this proposed school expansion is complete.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION:
Section 155.526 (A) (1) (g) of the Code of Ordinances requires Special Exception consideration if the applicant wishes to increase their maximum enrollment as reported to the City. The applicant provides a justification letter addressing compatibility to the existing school operations, desirability of the use to the community, expansion minimizing adverse impacts to the area, and adequacy of parking / traffic circulation. The special exception justification has been reviewed by staff and found to meet Code requirements.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approval of the site plan and special exception request subject to the following:
1. Applicant installing landscape on the east bufferyard (fence and landscape) of the school expansion parcel prior to issuance of building permits for vertical construction of the building.
2. Satisfaction of Engineering comments prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the building.
3. Special Exception approval for the increase in student population.