1405 Solana Drive – Charles Armstrong School
Project Introduction
City Council
November 25, 2025
Presentation Goals
• Facilitate a project introduction and scope.
• Identify applicable entitlements that are requested in conjunction with the proposed project.
• Accept comments and answer questions about the project from the City Council, and the public (as appropriate given the current stage of review for the project).
• No action is requested at this stage of the project review process. • Planning Commission facilitated a similar project introduction item (and format) at their November 4th Meeting.
Historical Background - Synopsis
• 1950s – The McDougal School was constructed.
• July 1982 – McDougal School Site converted from a public school to a non-school designation. • May 1984 – Area rezoned from SC – Service Commercial to I – Institutional. • August 1984 – Conditional Use Permit established to operate a private, special education school on the former McDougal school site.
• July 1987 – The school received approval of a Conceptual Development Plan (CDP), Conditional Use Permit and Design Review. A Resolution approving the Conditional Use Permit, Detailed Development Plan (DDP), and Design Review to allow modular classroom additions which were installed later that year.
• January through April 1988 – Modified approvals for the CDP for the school occurred. The Planning Commission also approves a revised Detailed Development Plan (DDP), associated conditions of approval, and procedure/criteria for increasing the student enrollment cap for the school.
• November 2002 – School receives approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow the school to increase the enrollment cap from 220 to 260 students. The approved enrollment cap increase did not involve any increase in permissible floor area for the campus. • 2003 through 2005 – A proposed CDP Amendment to allow for enhanced school activities, and construction of approximately 15,600 square feet of additional building floor area for the campus was reviewed and disapproved.
Project Description: Part 1
The school has filed a Development Review
application to construct several new
buildings in two phases for their campus:
• Phase I: 11,900 sq. ft. Academic Wing
• Phase II: 11,100 sq. ft.
Athletic/Community Building
• Additional site improvements
• Landscaped Plaza
• Stormwater Management Systems
• Slope Stabilization
• Utility Infrastructure
• Phase III: Renovations to existing spaces
Proposed new
buildings
Project Description: Part 2
Proposed Operational Changes
• Increase enrollment cap from
260 to 290 students
• Average daily attendance is
currently 230-240 students
• Hours of Operations
extended by 1 hour [7 AM to
10 PM on weekdays] and
certain Weekend Access
• Increase Faculty Staff by
approximately 11 new members
• Admin & Support staff levels
expected to remain
Entitlements
• Planned Development (PD) Amendment – which focuses on Conceptual Development Plan (CDP) & Detailed Development Plan (DDP) Amendments to address:
• New construction and Operational Standards
• Increase the permitted Floor Area for the campus
• Increase the current Enrollment cap
• These requests differ from the approved 1988 Conceptual Development Plan & Detailed Development Plan, and the 2002 Conditional Use Permit. • Conditional Use Permit (is connected to the DDP) – to modify the student population cap and address operational standards.
• Design Review – for the new buildings proposed on the site. • Tree Permit – to address approximately 44 protected trees being removed in conjunction with development of the proposed buildings. Significant quantities of replacement trees are proposed to moderate the tree removal permit request. • Grading Permit – to address the combined volume of material excavated and filled that will exceed fifty (50) cubic yards, and grading which will disturb an area of more than two thousand (2,000) square feet.
Site Plan
• Phase I • Music Room: 6,364 SF • Multipurpose: 4,237 SF • 2 Classrooms • Art & Maker Space: 1,292 SF• Science Lab • 4 Classrooms
• Phase II • Gymnasium: 7,973 SF • Kitchen: 3,153 SF • Phase III • Renovations to existing spaces
Landscape Plan Concept
Tentative Future Public Hearing Schedule
• January 6, 2026 – Planning Commission Hearing
• Review and provide recommendations to the City Council on the project entitlements, Ordinance and Resolution.
• January 27, 2026 – City Council Public Hearing
• Review Planning Commission recommendations, project entitlements, and Ordinance and Resolution (Introduction & 1st Reading) for the proposed project.
• February 10, 2026 – City Council Meeting
• Should the project receive City Council Approvals on 1/27/26, Second Reading of Project Ordinance and Resolution would occur on this date.
Thank you!
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