[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:02] All right, welcome everybody, and welcome to tonight's meeting of the City of Germantown Planning Commission. My name is John McCree. I'll be serving as your chairman today. We're going to begin the seat of his meeting with a roll call to establish a quorum.
[0:14] Miss Attic, if you would, would you proceed, please?
[0:17] Miss Sisson.
[0:20] Here.
[0:21] Mr. Bacon.
[0:22] Here.
[0:23] Mr. Sloan.
[0:25] Mr. Clark.
[0:26] Here.
[0:26] Mr. Jacobs.
[0:28] Here.
[0:28] Alderman Salvagio.
[0:30] Here.
[0:30] Chairman McRerry.
[0:32] Mayor Pavalozolo.
[0:34] All right, thank you.
[0:35] We have a quorum.
[0:36] All right.
[0:36] The agenda item number three is to make a welcome to everybody.
[0:40] And I'd like to remind everyone, we've got a composite today's agenda located online.
[0:44] If you go to the Germantown City Calendar, you can refer to it on one of your electronic devices and access that for today's meeting if needed.
[0:52] As a matter of courtesy for those watching online and for those of you who are new to the room tonight, I'll explain our normal procedures.
[0:59] The item number to the case from today's agenda will be read by myself, the chairperson, staff will then give their report.
[1:05] After the staff report, commission members will be able to ask questions of staff.
[1:09] Following the Commission questions and clearifications of staff, we will have a presentation
[1:13] by the applicant.
[1:14] After that presentation by the applicant, the Commission's WBAS questions of the applicant
[1:18] at that time.
[1:20] Once the Commissioners' questions of the applicant are complete, we will then break into a
[1:24] public hearing for the agenda items required by state law, and the public will be given
[1:28] a chance to make comments for or against the agenda item.
[1:32] Once the public comments are complete, we will go back to the regular agenda and our vice
[1:35] here we'll make a motion and we'll get a second and at that time the members of the commission
[1:39] will discuss the case, make comments and once the commission discussions and comments
[1:43] are complete, we'll ask for a roll call vote.
[1:46] So if you wish to make comments on any item on today's agenda, if you would please fill out
[1:50] a citizens to be heard, sheet and bring it forward and hand it to one of our staff members,
[1:54] located in the front of the chamber and when that item is called and we move to the public
[1:58] here in person, the agenda item you'll be given an opportunity to make your comments.
[2:02] You know, we've got a lot of people here tonight, which is, I'm thankful for, sometimes
[2:06] the room is empty, and you kind of wonder, so it's good to see the process work.
[2:11] And the way it is is we have three minutes for each person with a maximum of 15 for each
[2:15] side.
[2:17] I'm conscious of the fact that you take time off of your work and all the way from your families
[2:21] and I know you want to speak.
[2:24] I would just tell you that I've got bowels and procedures that I've got to follow.
[2:29] It wouldn't be anything personal if you were the next person to speak.
[2:31] and we ran out of time.
[2:34] Obviously, if you're in my position,
[2:35] I think you do the same thing.
[2:36] At the same time, I'm conscious of the fact
[2:38] that you want to speak.
[2:39] I'll give a little latitude in that regard.
[2:41] Probably stick pretty close on the three minutes.
[2:43] When we get to about 245,
[2:44] I'll probably give you a heads-up,
[2:46] let you know your times approaching.
[2:48] But again, if we end up with one or two people
[2:50] after the 15 minutes, it's still me to speak.
[2:52] Certainly, I'll try to indulge that for you.
[2:56] You know, relatively bright bunch up here.
[2:59] I think if seven people in the row
[3:01] come and tell us we have a traffic problem. I'm pretty sure we're going to understand that after the
[3:04] fifth or sixth person. If you have a point once we get through a lot of the speakers that's
[3:10] salient to a different point, certainly welcome that, but just be constant the fact that we have
[3:15] your letters. We understand your concerns. We do want you to speak, but we do need to hold within those
[3:19] time frames if it all possible. If anyone here has any public comments to be made that are not
[3:25] your main to the case that we have before us tonight, you'll have the opportunity to be heard in
[3:29] that regard on the citizen comments that will be on agenda item 8A.
[3:34] So if you have something that's nothing to do with voter on school and you just want
[3:37] to talk about something, you'll do that under 8A.
[3:40] If you're here to speak on voter on school when we get to that particular item, I'll break
[3:44] for the public hearing and you'll be given your opportunity.
[3:47] We will do the people who are for the application first, then we'll do the people who are
[3:52] who have concerns on the application in there will be second.
[3:55] At this point, I'd like to read our conflict of interest statement.
[3:57] The degree procedure of the Germantown Planning Commission asks that any member of the board
[4:01] recuse himself or herself from any participation in the discussion or voting on any matter
[4:06] on the meetings agenda in which he or she may have a director, indirect, personal financial interest.
[4:11] That member shall vacate his or her seat during deliberations on any matter from which they recuse themselves,
[4:17] and abstention may be used as a substitute for a refusal for the purposes of us maintaining a quorum.
[4:22] Lastly, I'd like to ask everybody to sound your cell phone so we don't interrupt today's proceedings.
[4:27] So with our procedures explained, we're going to move forward to the approval of our minutes.
[4:31] We've had a couple of members of our commission who all-phone have missed a couple of meetings here or there,
[4:40] and would not be comfortable with voting on the agenda for those items individually or collectively as a group.
[4:47] So I'm going to call them individually.
[4:49] Can I please get a motion to approve the minutes of the May 21st, 2026 sketch plan meeting?
[4:55] So, we have a motion.
[4:56] I have a second.
[4:57] Second.
[4:58] All right, we have a second.
[5:00] Is there any discussion about the May 21st, 2026, sketch plan minutes?
[5:05] All right, hearing none of them were ready to vote, get a roll call, please?
[5:09] Mr. Sison? Yes. Mr. Bacon? Yes.
[5:13] Mr. Sloan? Yes.
[5:15] Mr. Clark? Yes.
[5:16] Mr. Jacob? Yes.
[5:18] Alderman Salbadgell? Yes.
[5:20] Chairman McRory? Yes.
[5:21] Mayor Ballazolo. Yes.
[5:24] All right, thank you, that is approved. Now, may I get a motion for the June 2nd, 2026,
[5:28] to work session minutes.
[5:30] Move to approve.
[5:32] Have a second.
[5:33] Any discussion?
[5:35] I please call the roll.
[5:37] Miss Susan?
[5:38] Yes.
[5:39] Mr. Bacon?
[5:41] Mr. Sloan?
[5:42] Yes.
[5:43] Mr. Clark?
[5:44] Yes.
[5:45] Mr. Jacobs?
[5:46] Yes.
[5:46] Alderman Salphagio?
[5:48] Yes.
[5:48] Chairman Recreary?
[5:49] Yes.
[5:50] Mayor Paul is old up.
[5:51] Yes.
[5:51] Thank you.
[5:52] I now may get a motion for the July 7th,
[5:55] 2026 planning commission meeting minutes.
[5:57] move to approve and a second please.
[6:01] Any discussion?
[6:03] Please call the roll.
[6:05] Mr. Baker.
[6:08] Yes.
[6:08] Mr. Sloan.
[6:10] Yes.
[6:11] Mr. Clark.
[6:12] Mr. Jacobs.
[6:14] Alderman Selbagio.
[6:16] Chairman McRerry.
[6:17] Yes.
[6:17] Mayor Pellas.
[6:18] Yes.
[6:19] Thank you.
[6:20] All right.
[6:21] That motion passes.
[6:23] Can I get the.
[6:24] A motion to approve the minutes for the August 20th.
[6:27] twenty twenty six sketch plan meeting move to prove
[6:30] to the second second any any concerns on that in the comments
[6:35] all right call roll please
[6:37] missing yes
[6:38] Mr. Bacon yes
[6:40] Mr. Sloan abstain
[6:42] Mr. Clark yes
[6:44] Mr. Jacobs abstain
[6:47] Alderman Selbagio
[6:48] yes chair member query yes
[6:50] Mayor Pellas all out yes
[6:52] thank you very much appreciate you all indulging me to call those individually
[6:56] All right, item number five's consent agenda, which we do not have one tonight, and we're going to move to item number six, which is the regular agenda. Mr.
[7:03] Rosser, any changes to our agenda tonight or anything as part of a director's report you might have?
[7:10] Just quickly on the director's report, this Core Leski had the two meetings up prior to the starting of our session tonight on September 15th.
[7:22] We'll have a community visioning workshop around our thrive Germantown 2050 comprehensive plan.
[7:29] We would like to invite the community out to join us at 630 on the 15th of September.
[7:38] For that, that will be at the Great Hall.
[7:41] We will have some kids exercises as well as desserts from local bakeries, so we've incentivized it a little bit.
[7:49] And then on the 16th, the next night in Old Germantown, we are having a drop-in open house for everyone to come and share their ideas, opinions, etc. around what they would like to see happen in Old Germantown as we've looked to really focus in on that area and that is at the Pickering Center, we're going to have some ice cream, so we'll call that an ice cream social, so we're incentivizing that as well.
[8:16] But again, that's just a drop-in to go and work with staff and consultants about your ideas.
[8:24] Again, as always, if you can't make it to those events, we are conducting a lot of these ideas online
[8:31] at our city's website and the plans page on the website.
[8:37] So thank you for that and happy 901 day.
[8:40] All right.
[8:41] Thank you, Mr. Ross.
[8:42] So, at this time, we're going to move to item number 6A, which is the case number of
[8:47] project name Bogan School.
[8:49] I'm assuming Mr. Ross, you're going to be making the presentation?
[8:52] Yes, sir.
[8:53] All right.
[8:53] Please proceed.
[8:54] So, thank you, Chairman, McCrary, members of the Commission.
[9:00] Tonight, we are here to consider both the approval of a conditional use permit and a revised
[9:06] final site plan for Bodine School at 2432 Yester Oaks Drive, just as a reminder to the planning
[9:15] commission. In February of 2026, the Board of Mayor and Alderman approved the zoning
[9:25] text amendments that ran through this commission towards the end of 25.
[9:31] And in that set of zoning text amendments, we created the conditional use permit.
[9:39] That conditional use permit reconsidered the use on appeal that had been going through the board of zoning appeals.
[9:47] And brought the conditional uses within residential districts, mostly around churches, schools, other institutional uses,
[9:57] to the purview of the planning commissions.
[10:00] So the meeting consolidate this step. 2397 shows the required findings for conditional use permit, which are very similar to the way that the Board of Zoning Appeals formally looked at the use on appeal.
[10:15] So I'll have that up as we go through this. Also within that section around conditional use permits, we included the revisions to the site plan based on the request for conditional use.
[10:29] So that's why this item is in front of you this evening
[10:32] as both the conditional use permit request
[10:36] for the Bodine's expansion,
[10:38] and their revised final site plan
[10:40] to include all of that.
[10:43] Just as a matter of introduction,
[10:47] they are Bodine is looking to add a new expansion
[10:53] to their campus on their 5.4 acre property.
[10:58] this was founded in 1972, the Bodine School was, this area was annexed into the city of
[11:09] Germantown in 1976. In 1982 the DRC approved an 8800 square foot addition to the Bodine
[11:20] school building as well as considered that use on appeal that I previously talked about at the
[11:29] BZA due to the expansion of the school in a residential easel area.
[11:35] In 1982, that expansion was approved in 1983, the BMA approved the expansion contract.
[11:43] Jester Oaks has had this main entrance since 1982, 1983.
[11:50] In 1997, the DRC approved an accessory structure on the northwest corner of the property.
[11:57] In 1999, there was approval for tree removal, landscape provisions, and light pole at the
[12:05] near the ground-mounted sign, DRC also approved an addition of 1140 square feet in 2000 and then in 2022 the BZA approved a variance for an accessory structure, which was a dumpster enclosure attached to the existing accessory building to extend beyond the front line of the front line of the front line.
[12:35] principal building. So all of the approvals that the Bodine School has received thus far have gone through
[12:43] this process that is now in front of you tonight as a conditional use permit. You saw this
[12:52] idea of this expansion at your May 21st, 2026 sketch plan committee where you considered this and
[13:01] some feedback to the applicant. The applicant invited the neighborhood out from a letter
[13:11] on July 7, describing the project, and on July 22, held in neighborhood outreach meeting
[13:19] where the project plans were presented. This information, along with the attendance and meeting
[13:27] notes is in your packet this evening.
[13:31] So they are requesting to expand. We the application
[13:39] would go for an expansion of this, it included a traffic analysis to talk about how the expansion
[13:49] would be mitigated, wanted to look at the rows and columns, so currently they have a total
[13:59] number of 100 students. As part of their day school expansion program that's in front
[14:08] of you tonight, they expect to over a five-year time frame increase the total number of students
[14:16] to 140 students currently they have 29 staff members as part of this program increase they would
[14:26] add an additional seven staff members currently the site can only support six cars
[14:35] queuing on the site which results in 35 cars queuing off site on yesterday oaks and out on to
[14:43] The site plan proposal would take and add 43 cars to Q on-site and a total off-site
[14:55] steering on Yester Oaks to 15 cars.
[15:00] Just to talk about their year-round programming, they also have a summer program.
[15:07] That summer program is divided up into a morning session and an afternoon session.
[15:14] Sir, the program serves 120 students. This summer, they had 107 students.
[15:20] So they are not going to increase that both by program service or staff number, but they still can only support six
[15:33] queueing cars on-site, which results with the overlapping morning and afternoon 48 cars queuing off-site down
[15:43] drugs and dogwood.
[15:46] With the proposed improvements to the campus,
[15:50] they would take, again, 43 cars,
[15:53] queuing on-site, and 11 cars would queue off-site.
[16:00] So with those numbers in mind, 2397 shows the required
[16:07] findings for your consideration of this conditional use
[16:12] permit.
[16:13] The project will not have a substantial or undo adverse effect on adjacent property, the character of the neighborhood traffic conditions,
[16:23] parking utility facilities and other matters affecting the public health safety and general welfare.
[16:30] The project will be constructed, arranged and operated so that it's compatible with the immediate vicinity and not interfere with the development and use of adjacent property
[16:40] in accordance with the applicable district regulations.
[16:45] The project will be served adequately by essential public facilities and services such
[16:51] as streets, parking, drainage, disposal, fire protection, emergency services, water and sewer,
[16:59] or that the applicant will provide adequately for such services.
[17:04] And the project complies with all additional standards imposed on it by any particular provision
[17:10] authorizing such use. I'll come back to that as we get to your consideration, but I want you to take a look and this is also in your packet of the existing condition survey and you'll notice that this is the area where they're able to queue. This is that six-car area. The revised final site plan that's part of their application in front of you tonight is
[17:39] is adding this queuing area as well as this addition.
[17:45] So when we look at this and we think about how this conforms with the zoning standards
[17:51] for the residential area, which they're asking for, this proposed building area is an expansion
[18:00] of 23,000 square feet.
[18:03] The building height would stay within the residential 35 feet proposed building addition height would be at 23 feet.
[18:15] Their impervious surface use conforms with the design review commissions standards and their lock coverage conforms with the same.
[18:26] They meet the bulk regulation requirements for parking based on their use.
[18:33] They meet the bulk regulation requirements on the set-fax standards for the residential area.
[18:40] They're providing currently 33 spaces.
[18:44] The required parking for their proposed expansion is just under 42 spaces.
[18:51] They're proposing 66 spaces, so they're doubling the current parking that they have on site and then they will provide some bicycle parking as well.
[19:04] This is the conceptual building renderings for this addition, and this is the circulation plan.
[19:14] So this is at six car queuing and then circulation around for pick-up and exit.
[19:21] So this would be the proposed circulation pick-up plan.
[19:28] When we start to think about the routing, people would be coming off of dogwood,
[19:33] down yesteroks, onto campus, queuing up, picking up in this area,
[19:38] and then leading yesteroks and exiting back out onto Dogwood Road.
[19:46] Under current queuing conditions, the green represents those six cars, the red represents
[19:54] the queuing on yesteroks out on the Dogwood and the blue is the additional-
[20:00] Observe cars for the summer program. When they applied the projected queuing conditions and the 43 vehicles that they were taking on site, you can see that the queuing of the 15 cars taking into consideration, not parking in front of driveways, doesn't extend past the end of yesterday's oaks.
[20:26] There's actually 17 vehicle capacity when you take it down all the way.
[20:34] The blue shows the 11 vehicles offsite for the summer program when you consider the morning and afternoon programs.
[20:44] So most of their parking will be taken on site as part of their campus expansion as it's proposed to you this evening.
[20:53] Also, as part of the site plan is their review of the city's tree plan, they went through
[21:03] this in detail.
[21:06] They followed the ordinance to the letter as outlined in the staff report.
[21:14] They surveyed and provided an arborist report for the majority of the campus.
[21:19] The area in the dust line was a little too dense and a little too covered up with poison ivy
[21:25] for the arborist to safely get back there.
[21:30] But at the end of the day, they provided a plan that conformed with the vegetation ordinance.
[21:38] They found that their proposed planting would be 51 trees
[21:46] with 21 trees worthy of retention.
[21:51] They are going to be removing a significant amount of trees
[21:53] that were not deemed worthy of retention
[21:56] under the city's vegetation ordinance,
[22:01] so sweet gums, et cetera.
[22:04] But they are keeping 21 trees that are defined
[22:08] as worthy of retention by the ordinance.
[22:11] The ordinance, as reviewed, requires 16 trees per acre.
[22:16] with 5.4 acres that comes up to about 87 trees as we round up in the vegetation
[22:24] ordinance. So they would be required to mitigate 15 trees based on the shortage
[22:31] that they have when you have 21 and 51 at 72. So they would come up short 15 trees and
[22:41] So the mitigation fee is calculated by the ordinance is $500 per tree at three inches.
[22:51] So their mitigation following the ordinance to the letter is $7,500 and so that's what
[22:57] they're proposing to pay.
[22:59] They're not asking for any relief on the tree mitigation and again they are not asking
[23:06] for any site plan relief variances on their site plan.
[23:13] I do have the fire marshal as well as the city engineer
[23:20] and staff.
[23:21] I do want to say the planning manager in the school
[23:25] or Leski as well as Lillian Haddock planner
[23:30] with the city did a significant amount of this work
[23:33] and worked with the applicant on this plan.
[23:36] I have been a group effort to get us here this evening and so we are all available to answer any questions that you might have.
[23:45] All right.
[23:46] Thank you, Dr. Ross.
[23:47] We're going to get two questions for staff at this time but we're going to take a little moment.
[23:52] You folks in the back are you concerned about interfering with the procedure you want to come forward now.
[23:58] Sit down or you prefer to stay in the back.
[24:03] I know you don't want to be on the front row just like in high school math.
[24:06] They always picked on me and I was, when I good at that,
[24:13] all right, thank y'all.
[24:14] All right, so at this time, we'll turn the floor over to our commissioners, have any questions
[24:18] for the applicant members to know discussions or questions only?
[24:23] Anybody questions per staff?
[24:25] Commissioner Sisson?
[24:27] I just want to review something that was discussed at length at the executive session regarding
[24:33] and yes or oaks in its classification that it meets where the monotes go that it, while it
[24:42] is not currently operating as a, what kind of street, it's not currently operating as that.
[24:50] It meets the requirements for that type of a street and the reason it's not operating is
[24:57] because of its lack of joining to us.
[25:00] While the city engineer makes her way up here to get into the details for you, as outlined in your staff report, the code 2328 talks about conditional use permits, being on a route designated as either a major or collector street.
[25:21] BoDine was founded in 72, expanded in 82, and Yesteroke was physically constructed to be a collector street.
[25:31] So that's why it is currently there, but I'll let Miss Allen get into the particulars of that.
[25:42] To recap what Director Ross just mentioned, this street is not currently designated as a collector.
[25:50] It was originally constructed to design standards, to meet the eligibility to become a collector.
[26:01] And the city's most recent major road plan update.
[26:05] There was not a need for that collector, so it was not shown as a proposed collector.
[26:19] Is that satisfactory answer?
[26:21] So I was going to brought it up in an executive committee and what I was concerned about was I just want to make sure for the benefit of the letters and the emails that I received.
[26:32] You know there was very specific some of them capital letters.
[26:37] Yes, drugs is not a collector street therefore both on school is ineligible for remodels, whatever the case may be.
[26:44] But I don't think that's, again like I said early I'm not trying to have a stake in a grand legally but from anything I understand.
[26:50] I've been in the business 39 years, developed a lot of subdivisions.
[26:54] I think I understand my roads pretty well.
[26:58] The MPO doesn't designate it currently as a collector because it doesn't connect.
[27:04] If by some stretch of the imagination, again, not pushing it would ever happen, it did connect.
[27:10] The designation of it being a collector would be re-instituted in a likelihood by the MPO
[27:15] because while we have the form of the road going to your point,
[27:19] we don't have the function, but if the function did pick back up,
[27:22] it would be redesigned as a collector.
[27:25] The point being, it's not prohibited to be a collector.
[27:28] And that was the message it was in the letters to me.
[27:31] It is not a collector, and I want to make sure on the record on that.
[27:35] That is correct.
[27:36] There's nothing that prohibits it currently to become a collector in the future.
[27:41] In the future, if there's any development that is made,
[27:44] additional connections that are made, the MPO and Federal Highways may re-evaluate and
[27:50] designate it at a as a collector at that time, but there's nothing currently that we're
[27:56] hitted that.
[27:58] Thank you.
[27:59] All right.
[27:59] Commissioner Jacobs.
[28:01] I can have one more thing just.
[28:03] Yes, sir.
[28:04] Dr. Grosch.
[28:05] I think it's important as you mentioned form and function, the form of the road does have enough
[28:13] to support parking on both sides as well as two-way traffic along with sidewalks.
[28:21] So, again, it's designed for to carry a significant amount of traffic, although it does not do so at this time.
[28:31] Okay, thank you for that clarification.
[28:32] Commissioner Jacob.
[28:33] If I made to help clarify some more, would you explain why the zoning code now, if some more
[28:39] to come in new with a proposal to build a school and then excuse them. We're looking for
[28:45] conditional use permit. It would have to be on a collector's street. Why do we want it on a collector's street?
[28:54] That is a great question commissioner Jacobs. I do not have the answer. I would have to defer to
[29:02] direct a loss or counsel on why that is in our code?
[29:09] So I'm gonna tell myself a little bit,
[29:12] but I think that the intention when that was written
[29:17] into the code was to the point that we just made around form.
[29:23] But transportation engineers, engineers,
[29:27] think about function over form.
[29:29] and so the function can change and so we may need to explore a zoning
[29:35] text amendment in the future to consider this absolute of it being on a collector street.
[29:43] The other consideration about collector streets is that they conduct a
[29:47] significant amount of traffic at significant amount of speeds.
[29:52] This Allen has conducted a review of the speeds on the street
[29:58] and as seen.
[30:00] And that the majority go lower than the posted speed in this area, that 85th percentile? I think I have that right.
[30:11] If I may be in an engineer that's exactly what my impression was, that we were interested in putting in an zoning code.
[30:19] We were interested in having the functional capability, but the idea of it actually being a collector and operating a collector might be a detriment because of the speed increase in a traffic increase that could occur.
[30:31] So, we have to consider all of that when we look at this application, my opinion.
[30:36] Do you agree?
[30:37] Yes, I do.
[30:39] Thank you.
[30:39] Planners and engineers have learned how to discuss things out since 1986.
[30:46] Thank you, Commissioner Jacobs, any other questions?
[30:48] Commissioner Sloan?
[30:49] A quick question about the queuing on yesterdays going out to dogwood on the different
[30:55] models that you showed.
[30:57] One thing when driving yesterday, because you see cars parked on the road,
[31:00] some of the residents park on the street.
[31:03] One was that taken into consideration in your new model,
[31:07] or has that even possible to take into consideration.
[31:13] Parking, I'm sorry, ask.
[31:14] So I guess the residents were just
[31:17] for our parking on the street.
[31:19] It's a public street, so the queuing can occur.
[31:24] Residents can park out there, this took into consideration
[31:29] that there was no parking by residents on the street, but going back to the form, you can
[31:39] queue up on both sides of the street and two-way traffic can still function safely out there.
[31:45] Okay, and then did fire speak into the queueing?
[31:50] I guess the first is the way it is today, versus the abilities to have everyone, yes, for
[31:55] of the folks versus Dogwood.
[31:57] Is there any concerns or comments from police or fire?
[32:01] I'll let fire march of starings address that.
[32:14] Thank you.
[32:15] We have looked at the proposed queueing.
[32:19] Obviously schools are challenging no matter which school it is during pick up and drop off.
[32:25] The difference is that typically the driver is still in the car and are capable of moving
[32:30] If we need to get in in emergency, but looking at the proposed queuing map, with their proposed
[32:39] queuing plan, we can still enter on the north side of the drive to be able to get into the school,
[32:45] even at the cars or queueed back, you know, and they don't have a whole lot of options to go.
[32:50] We can still get there, and we would rely on the school officials to assist in emergency situation
[32:56] and you know, getting those vehicles out of the way if they know we're coming.
[32:59] So we have looked at it, and we don't believe access is going to be a major issue for us in
[33:08] our emergency situation.
[33:11] Thank you.
[33:12] Thank you.
[33:12] Commissioner Sloan, you also mentioned police.
[33:16] We did reach out to the lieutenant who is in charge of school traffic, and asked him about
[33:20] this.
[33:21] He met with the school out on site and assessed the current traffic situation and is working
[33:28] together with the school to provide some options for a better current traffic situation at that
[33:33] intersection of dogwood and guest roads.
[33:38] Thank you.
[33:38] Any other questions for the staff?
[33:42] Yes, ma'am.
[33:44] Commissioner Susan.
[33:45] I wanted to ask, there was, with the enrollment, the requirements are that it be 200 students or less.
[33:56] So this application, even at the expanded number, is below the allowed number, would this school,
[34:03] what would the school need to do if they decided, instead of 140 students, they were going
[34:07] to do 150 students or 200 students, as long as they're within that 200 limit, do they have
[34:14] to come back and ask for additional approval for those additional students?
[34:22] So, by the ordinance, 23, 230 schools in single family are zoning districts as you pointed out,
[34:31] minimum of five acres, maximum enrollment of 200 students were at just under 5.4 and
[34:39] they're saying that they're projected to increase an enrollment over the next five years
[34:45] would be up to 140, and so I believe that you would have to confirm this with the applicant that that's where they plan to stop, that this expansion is only going.
[35:00] To support that number of students in the way that they conduct their operations.
[35:05] But I think Ms. Gorlesky, anything you'd like to hand?
[35:08] Well, and I think if they would want to expand, that they would need to come back for their conditional use permit to be reviewed once more,
[35:15] because this is not a by-right use because it's residential, it's a conditional use.
[35:20] So each time it intensifies, it needs to come back for review again.
[35:25] Because, to Miss Gorlesky's point, this is a conditional use permit.
[35:29] It's not just based on the site plan, so if they were to go from 140 to 1.99, that would
[35:38] again hit their conditional use permit because when you look at the findings that the
[35:46] planning commission considers as part of a conditional use permit, that could trigger some
[35:51] those based on queuing or other issues that we're not here present tonight.
[36:00] It's part of this discussion.
[36:02] Thank you.
[36:03] I'm sorry.
[36:04] One more question for last one.
[36:06] There's been some notations about flooding concerns and drainage concerns.
[36:12] Can you speak to that in the application or any city concerns that you have on those issues?
[36:20] I'll once again turn the mic over to Miss Allen.
[36:27] The city does have a active capital improvements project where we are evaluating the localized flooding in the area of Redwood Trail.
[36:39] The city did higher consultant to provide an analysis of what was contributing all the factors contributing to the flooding of those residents in the area.
[36:48] And one of the alternatives that our consultant looked at was the water coming from this area of the Bodine school to see how much that contributed to the downstream flooding.
[37:01] And through working with the consultant it was identified that providing additional detention or just solely relying on detention from this property would not alleviate all the flooding downstream.
[37:15] So, this city's capital project is looking into additional ways to mitigate those flooding.
[37:22] The school has put together a grading plan and has discussed with the engineering department,
[37:30] regarding over-datening where they can making connections so that it does alleviate that flooding
[37:38] or in the erosion immediately adjacent to their property.
[37:41] All right, thank you.
[37:44] Vice Chair Baker?
[37:50] This is a question Mr. Ross of the applicant.
[37:54] But in the sketch plan meeting,
[37:56] there was a discussion about traffic on windyokes.
[37:59] Windyokes is obviously not a collector street.
[38:02] And I think there was some measure of consideration.
[38:05] Yeah, if you could go back.
[38:08] By the applicant to accommodate traffic on windyokes
[38:12] and then to cut back over and come in from the south
[38:16] And I guess my bigger point is there's really no rules that can be applied to where a student's car has to, or a family's car has to queue.
[38:32] I mean, you can contemplate queuing from dogwood and then coming down esterokes.
[38:37] But traffic can come from anywhere and queue in the neighborhood.
[38:42] Yeah sir, to your point, traffic is like water, it will fly away to there, but the important
[38:52] art is that the school is not proposing that Wendy Oaks be an alternative entrance, that
[39:01] while they talked about that is almost a concert at Tape of Plan for- Look at how light
[39:12] have proposed in the way that they will work with their students, parents, grandparents, etc.
[39:21] is to operate on this model of queuing along windy oaks and taking advantage of excuse me,
[39:29] queuing on yesterday oaks and repraise that again, queuing on yesterday oaks.
[39:36] Are there bike lanes or that bike lanes on yesterday oaks?
[39:38] There are not bike lanes on Yesteroks.
[39:40] There are bike lanes out on Dogwood
[39:42] where some of this queuing does occur right now.
[39:48] But there are no bike lanes on Yesteroks.
[39:52] But the queuing offsite of 15 vehicles,
[39:57] not sitting in front of driveway is because there's
[40:01] There were, they've considered driveways. So capacity for 17 with the consideration of driveways, and that's just one side with 43 additional cars taken on site for QA.
[40:15] And is in one last question. So is the QA analysis supported by study, is anybody or the school just, where is this coming from?
[40:26] The applicant has worked with Kimley Corn and Kimley Corn is here with the applicant tonight, so they can make it get more interesting.
[40:35] Thank you.
[40:36] All right.
[40:37] Thank you, Vice Chair Baker.
[40:38] Any other questions for the staff?
[40:41] All right.
[40:42] Thank you, Director Ross.
[40:44] At this time, we would like to get, and if you want, we would like to have an presentation from the applicant.
[40:54] I see why you're standing now.
[40:56] We're waiting to run down the aisle here.
[40:57] If you would give us your name and address for the record, please sir.
[41:03] My name is John Murphy, and I live at 6730 Avington Cove.
[41:10] I am the head of school of Bowdine.
[41:13] This is my 11th year at Bowdine, and my 44th year as an educator.
[41:19] I've been a teacher, a principal, and now head of Bowdine school.
[41:24] Our school is totally focused on teaching students
[41:28] with dyslexia to read and succeed.
[41:32] dyslexia is a learning disability that affects reading and writing.
[41:37] Research shows that 20% of people have some degree of dyslexia.
[41:43] This is one in five people that have serious obstacles in learning to read and write.
[41:49] For over 50 years, Bodyn has led the Mid-South in helping students to access their education.
[41:55] Currently, Vodine serves grades 1 through 5.
[42:00] These grades are the time children learn to read and write.
[42:04] Children attend Vodine for an average of 2-3 years.
[42:09] These children leave Vodine reading at or above grade level.
[42:15] In addition to our day program, we offer a summer reading program for struggling readers.
[42:21] We also offer summer teacher training, and throughout the year we have a lunch and learn programs to
[42:28] weigh to raise awareness about dyslexia.
[42:32] We wish to give more children this great start to become confident students able to take
[42:38] on any and all challenges they may face, and we know this generation of children will have
[42:44] challenges ahead.
[42:45] We are a part of Germantown.
[42:49] 20% of our students are Germantown residents.
[42:53] Botan is contributing to the success of our wonderful community
[42:56] by remediating these children and helping them to be successful.
[43:02] Students at Houston Riverdale and any of the
[43:05] fantastic public and private schools located in Germantown.
[43:10] Botan wishes to build a student center behind the school.
[43:13] The Student Center will house a new library, new classrooms, dedicated tutoring carols for
[43:21] individual student therapy, and an indoor recreation space.
[43:26] The project will also include a new playground.
[43:29] In addition, Bowdon will renovate our current building to add four additional classrooms.
[43:36] This project will also add more parking spaces and a longer driveway on our campus to accommodate
[43:42] of over 40 cars for dismissal.
[43:46] The question about the number of students is driven by the number of classrooms that we have.
[43:52] We currently have 10 classrooms.
[43:55] Very strict about our number of 10 in a class.
[43:58] That's very necessary for the type of work that we do in
[44:01] remediating these children with dyslexia.
[44:04] And we are seeking to add four more classrooms.
[44:06] So the number is driven by the number of classrooms and we have given this careful consideration as to the number that we could manage successfully on our campus.
[44:23] So I can't speak for 20 years in the future, but at this time we have no plans to go any further on this particular footprint.
[44:36] As far as the drainage, I would just like to add that, and the city planners can tell you,
[44:43] this we have worked with the city over and over again offering drainage solutions.
[44:49] So we've been great partners in that.
[44:52] We have paid for engineering studies our own to propose detention facilities on our property.
[44:59] we have offered.
[45:01] So, and Germantown was very good to work with, and they came back and said, at this time, the consultants have determined that
[45:12] that Bowdoin doesn't offer enough help in the drainage problem. So, I do have a great group of local experts here tonight.
[45:23] We have Brett Grindr from GTG Construction,
[45:27] Jarmann Paragoy from Kindly Horn Engineering,
[45:30] and Todd Walker from Archomania.
[45:33] So, they have been great partners on this project,
[45:37] and will be very, very adept at answering any of the specific questions
[45:42] that you may have.
[45:45] Thank you.
[45:45] All right, thank you, sir.
[45:47] All right, do we have any questions for the applicant
[45:48] or the applicant's team at this time?
[45:53] Yes, sir, from Mr. Jacobs?
[45:54] I do have one question, I'm a belabor, the point a little bit, the 140 student maximum.
[46:02] You made a very strong point that you believe in 10 students per classroom.
[46:08] Could you ever envision, with this constructed, redesigning some space to make extra classrooms to come back and propose an intended increase?
[46:20] No.
[46:22] So, we have, we have thought about the plan very carefully and we do have space, we don't have that much space,
[46:31] so every square inch of what we use now and every square inch of what we're proposing will be used for the purpose of
[46:39] at the maximum educating 140 students, having an indoor place space, having an art room, having a music room, having a
[46:48] We're all class library for these kids that need to get excited about reading, but no, there is no.
[46:57] That's not ever been thought of.
[46:59] So if we wanted to ask for 150 or 200, that's what we would have done, right?
[47:04] So if it's some time in the future, you would expect that if you wanted to ask for 150,
[47:09] you would have to come back and ask for a building edition or another building.
[47:14] Yes, we would have to add space.
[47:16] And once again, I'm only one person, but I've been there 11 years, I'm going to die some
[47:23] day, but I do not, there are no plans.
[47:29] We feel very good about the number of students we will have on that campus.
[47:36] And then sort of along the same lines, this addition is much larger than your existing building
[47:41] and it's kind of, at first glance, it gives you perhaps a wrong impression.
[47:49] The reason it's so large is because you're at an indoor recreation space that you don't
[47:53] currently have, correct?
[47:54] That's correct.
[47:56] Yeah, I mean, the indoor recreation space, aka Jim, although we're not going to be hosting
[48:00] tournaments.
[48:02] It's not going to, it will not affect this around the name of it.
[48:04] No, no, no, no, no.
[48:06] We have no interest in our school is so important, it's program.
[48:13] I've worked in other schools, I'm from anywhere other schools.
[48:16] You come to Bowdye to get better at reading and writing and then we let you go.
[48:23] We don't try to hold on to you, there is no graduation, you know, like I said, the average
[48:28] stage is actually 2.6 years, so between 2 years and 3 years depending on your level
[48:34] of dyslexia when you enter and depending on how well you remediate during that time, which
[48:39] is, of course, an individual thing, right?
[48:43] So, even though your, your, your floor space is increasing is more than doubling, it's
[48:48] because you're adding an indoor or recreation facility, it's not because you're addressing
[48:52] more classroom space.
[48:55] Correct.
[48:55] We have never had a gym to use a more common term.
[48:58] we've never had a gym, and we're excited about the possibility, we've been cautious about
[49:05] going outside, you know, as the heat, of course, when it's too cold, when it rains, there
[49:11] are a number of occasions where we would love to have a place okay kids. You've been working
[49:15] hard all day, you know, go run around, of course, we have a PE class that always meets outside
[49:21] when it can, and when it doesn't, we meet, we just, they play games or something like that.
[49:26] So yes, sir, I would say the experts can take, but I would say at least a third of the building, not more, is probably Jim.
[49:35] Thank you. Yeah. Thanks, sir. Any other questions for the applicant?
[49:39] Commissioner Clark?
[49:40] I've got a question. Uh, I guess a question for you if you could just walk us through this traffic flow, if you've got that up there.
[49:49] How you see traffic coming when pickup is going on, if you can just explain that to us a little bit.
[49:55] I'm looking at the map, I see that you've got 43 cars queued on your drawing here.
[50:00] When you had six before, just to make it clear for myself and I felt a member's what drop-off it looked like to you.
[50:08] Well, currently, we don't have, but we can get six cars on campus in our driveway, right? And then they go from the end of the driveway and they go to the front of the school and pick up their children and they loop around and they leap.
[50:20] with this new plan, which we're very excited about, not only having more parking, but also having the ability to queue up 43 cars, so the first car in line will be up there, let me see the corner, right, right, approximately there, yeah, where they are put into their cars.
[50:46] Yeah,
[50:50] so, yeah, I'll talk to the lead there.
[50:53] And so then they will just, the first car would come in, go around, or on the circle, park.
[51:00] Second car, we're going to, not parks, sorry, stay in their car.
[51:04] We have parents, some that come early, do their reading, or do whatever they're doing.
[51:11] The third car comes in, the fourth car comes in.
[51:14] and we will be able to get 43 cars in here.
[51:19] Then we start our dismissal at exactly 330.
[51:24] The dismissal right now with 100 kids can take anywhere from the other day.
[51:29] I timed it with six minutes.
[51:32] It can take 15 minutes.
[51:33] We also have after school programs.
[51:35] As many schools do, we have after care for working parents.
[51:39] And we have a chess club, we have a cheer squad, we have a destination imagination team on missing one.
[51:52] But anyway, for soccer and the soccer and some kind of sport four days a week.
[51:58] So, you know, there's rarely every child in the whole school going home at once.
[52:03] And then just to clear this up, drop off is never a problem.
[52:07] It's staggered.
[52:08] We opened our doors at 7.30 and we began school at 8.30.
[52:13] And so parents, I was there.
[52:15] This morning, early in parents were dropping off
[52:17] as early as 7.15, they had to get to work.
[52:19] Make tuition money, right?
[52:20] So we let them in when they get there.
[52:22] And then they're, it's never, I've never seen it,
[52:25] even during COVID when we were checking temperatures,
[52:29] we didn't have a line to get in to the school.
[52:32] All right, thank you.
[52:33] And I assume, excuse me, you're six to 15 minutes
[52:36] of dismissal is when you ring that final bell and our traffic is going out there.
[52:41] But as you mentioned, there are some parents that get there a little early in one read or queue up.
[52:45] And so that traffic will last a little bit longer with six to 15 minutes.
[52:48] Just be clear.
[52:50] Well, no, the queueing will last longer.
[52:54] And right now, because we've been keenly interested in it lately.
[52:59] Right now, rarely do we have anybody queueing.
[53:03] Well, they do eventually queue on the F drugs.
[53:05] I don't know if I'm answering your question.
[53:07] No, I'm just, I don't want it to look like it's a six to 15 minute issue
[53:11] in the neighborhood.
[53:12] It's actually a longer than that because we're going to get there.
[53:14] I'm sorry.
[53:16] At 330, it can finish as early as 330 six.
[53:20] Like it did the other day or go to a 345.
[53:23] But you're going to allow the queueing to start on campus at three,
[53:28] a clock when these early birds get there.
[53:30] I know they're really birds you're talking about.
[53:31] I was one of them.
[53:32] You're going to get there early in queue on campus and I got to stand out on yesterdays.
[53:36] All right, that's right.
[53:37] Oh, yeah, absolutely.
[53:38] I mean, we want them on campus.
[53:42] We feel it's better for all.
[53:43] So yeah, we might have to go talk to them if they're there at one third or something.
[53:48] No, we're going to, we want them to come on to campus.
[53:52] And, you know, just be in the safety of our campus.
[53:55] Thank you.
[53:56] Thank you.
[53:57] Yes, sir.
[53:59] Mr. Murphy, still, I was two diagrams, so I wanted to ask, there's a queueing term, and then there's a stacking term, and so, you know, if we read the letters on the emails from the neighborhood and obviously the biggest concern is cars out on the street, and it's a question relative to chemistry handling, if it's a collector, it's a question.
[54:25] But what do you contemplate relative, you know, there are now, I think it's 15 cars off
[54:35] site.
[54:37] So there's still a queueing stacking out on Yester Oaks.
[54:43] How long is that?
[54:46] I mean, how long are those cars because I know I've gone by there many times in the cars
[54:52] sitting there.
[54:53] And so that's a big issue with the neighborhood.
[54:56] The cars are parked for a lengthy period time.
[55:00] In a granted, you're going to have much better traffic flow through the site than you do now. You only have one handful of cars on the driveway, but to address the neighbors concerns going forward about still a number of cars perking out on yesterday's. How long is that? Do you contemplate is that?
[55:27] a ten-minute condition is a thirty-minute condition, forty-five minutes, I mean, I'm curious.
[55:35] I really don't really know until you...
[55:38] It just depends on the human being that's in that car and there's schedule for the day.
[55:48] We could certainly be more aggressive with our parents to say, please don't start cueing until...
[55:55] I mean, I don't understand it, but people do get there sometimes early.
[56:00] I just don't know.
[56:01] Maybe the traffic study, we commissioned Kimley Horn for a traffic study.
[56:07] They may have some information about that.
[56:12] Here we go.
[56:13] Here we go.
[56:15] And I guess to follow up, maybe this is a question for Kimley Horn, but you're, again, you're
[56:22] and stacking out on Yester Oaks is going to be somewhat
[56:28] predicated on a fish and flow through the site.
[56:32] You're creating an opportunity to flow through the site,
[56:35] but at the end of the day, that's going to have to be managed.
[56:39] Yeah, you'll have staff.
[56:41] Yeah, pushing people through.
[56:42] Certain kids are coming out.
[56:43] I mean, we all know.
[56:45] Not to be cheeky, but we're anxious to get rid of the kids.
[56:48] Yeah.
[56:48] At the end of the day.
[56:49] The staff is motivated to give the children back to their parents.
[56:54] Yes, sir. Oh, yeah, we would definitely manage that situation.
[56:57] And I've worked at other schools, and my staff is already
[57:01] on what about if we're parked there? Well, for one thing, don't park there.
[57:05] But if you need to park there, we'll get you out.
[57:07] Yeah, we're a small school, so we would be able to manage that.
[57:14] The question about stacking.
[57:17] Yeah, like Krypton, Kim Lee Hoorne, 999, South Fedy Grove Road.
[57:23] So your question was just about the time of Q and Q, and how long the car is going to be out there?
[57:28] I mean what the question is?
[57:30] So we did go out in the spring, and we were there before this whistle to note the Q and
[57:37] and along, yesterday, Oaks and Dogwood.
[57:40] All that information really, even if it started at 130, it's hard to apply it to this,
[57:47] because now there is so much more space. If the Senate, if 43 cars were to shut right at 130,
[57:55] they would just sit in the parking lot until 330. Until we drop away.
[58:02] And then there's a lot of yesterdays.
[58:05] Yes, sir. Does that make sense? So at this moment it's hard to say how long it would just entirely depend on how many people get there and how early?
[58:17] So for the 16, 15 cars off-site, which would be mostly per the other diagram accommodated on yesterdays.
[58:30] It's just, you don't know, I guess sort of fishing four years is the impact on the
[58:35] neighbor that how long have those carers contemplated this set out there.
[58:40] It would really just a bit of how they would have been there.
[58:41] How early 43 vehicles got there, because then the other 15 would be the ones that aren't
[58:48] able to be accommodated on site.
[58:50] So if all 43 got there at lunch, I mean, if it doesn't take until 315 for the parking lot
[58:59] be full, then it would be a 15 minutes on yesterday's votes.
[59:03] But that's the current condition as far as six cars on site, 40 something off.
[59:07] You're going to completely flip that.
[59:09] So only in your situation, you only tell them about somewhere on 15 cars being on
[59:13] yesterday, and instead of 40 something.
[59:15] Right.
[59:16] But 40 something.
[59:17] I think the question is, is it to pass improvement in their plan?
[59:21] Right.
[59:22] From just a point of view of call.
[59:23] Right.
[59:24] And I think that we could have a bigger impact on human behavior.
[59:30] We've never asked our parents to back off and wait or anything like that.
[59:35] People can come and line up when they want.
[59:37] They generally, these are extremes, you know, I was one-third of you as an extreme, right?
[59:44] It's more like three o'clock when they start queuing up and we could get more aggressive
[59:51] with our please stop coming to early, don't start queuing until they could all manage that, right?
[59:58] Oh, but it's a...
[1:00:00] So that's something that we commit to doing to help everybody out.
[1:00:06] And that's just human behavior.
[1:00:09] All right. Thank you. Yes, sir, Alderman, some of Agia?
[1:00:12] Thank you, Chairman.
[1:00:14] So I've had an office on pop or pipe, a Germantown hospital since 2003.
[1:00:20] And my staff knows, do not schedule need to have to leave that office between about 130 and 3 o'clock.
[1:00:25] it is a total nightmare on a daily basis, it's mayhem at best on a good day and got from
[1:00:37] that it's raining or there's a fender better or anything like that.
[1:00:42] I know that's a much higher attendance, larger school, wider road and we also have
[1:00:51] Well, sure, I haven't show a county in Georgetown over there trying to do a traffic.
[1:00:56] Now, I will say, one school that's out, it's a ghost town at 15 minutes.
[1:01:01] It's amazing how they can do that traffic, but, you know, when, when every letter that we will
[1:01:09] see definitely has a concern about the queuing, the existing conditions, the sight lines coming
[1:01:18] out of windy oaks and cars on dogwood. When I see 35 to 15, all the models show queuing
[1:01:29] only on windy oaks, I think this is a really good opportunity and I would hope to hear a
[1:01:37] real firm commitment from your team that if this does pass, a big retraining process for
[1:01:47] parents is critical as a full sit down, explaining to them what you guys are committed to
[1:01:57] do.
[1:01:57] We commit that that's been made to the neighborhood and you know it's a brand new, beautiful
[1:02:04] $10 million project or double in the size of the campus.
[1:02:08] There's a lot going on with this.
[1:02:11] It's usually easier to retrain people when they've got something they're in Shiny to look
[1:02:16] And really put the hammer down, if they're queuing up at one o'clock, well, they're going to be on your campus at that point, but if everybody's queuing up at one o'clock 30, 40 now into the streets, it's just, I think it's an education.
[1:02:33] You guys are educators. I think it's something needs to be discussed with your parents to make sure that they really understand what's been presented to us, what the neighbors or expectations.
[1:02:45] and not what it's down, so I just want to make sure that's on record that it's a big
[1:02:52] event, and hope that you guys can be willing to do that.
[1:02:56] Yeah, I agree, I mean, our dismissal process is nowhere near Mayhem. We currently have 94 students.
[1:03:08] I don't know how many Germantown has. We have no drivers, they're all parents.
[1:03:13] And yes, I will commit to working more with our parents about the time that they queue in the live.
[1:03:23] Thank you.
[1:03:25] I have only one question for you.
[1:03:28] Contrary to your prognosis, I hope you live forever.
[1:03:33] But there is always a chance for whatever case may be to change the headmaster.
[1:03:40] So, a lot of things were about the number of students, and one of the things I thought about
[1:03:44] this week was, and I plan on doing this, regardless of the outcome, positive, and negative,
[1:03:48] prior to that, I'm going to ask the commission, I'm going to make a motion underneath
[1:03:54] this special use permit to cap us at 140.
[1:03:58] That way, it's a matter of record, because the intensification, you know, concerned that anybody
[1:04:03] has with anything is that when they live here, and you build a 10,000 foot shopping center
[1:04:08] behind and when somebody said they'll never be anything back there, then the 10,000 turns
[1:04:12] to 20,000, 20,000 turns to 30, then they start going vertical and all these things keep
[1:04:17] happening over five, 10-year decades, whatever the case may be.
[1:04:21] So I will, I am planning on making a motion to cap the students at 140 as a part of this as
[1:04:29] a condition of the approval.
[1:04:31] And I'm assuming being the question that you're okay with that based on your infatic,
[1:04:36] No, when asked by Commissioner Jacob, it's about 140.
[1:04:40] Absolutely.
[1:04:41] We did our own study about what is a number that we can handle with our staff, without having to increase staff and other concerns like that.
[1:04:52] Educational concerns, right?
[1:04:54] And that's where we arrived at 140.
[1:04:57] No, I fully support that.
[1:04:58] we
[1:05:00] We have no intention of expanding to 140 on that on our current site.
[1:05:07] Because in 1996 when some things were approved, nobody thought you'd be here in 2026 with this.
[1:05:14] So we got to look at 10 and our responsibility to these citizens here as well as everywhere. Again, has none of the way that's going to be up or down vote.
[1:05:20] I'd be playing on making that motion and hopefully it gets your support for that.
[1:05:24] Any other questions for the applicant?
[1:05:28] All right. Well, this time, thank you, sir. At this time, we're going to stop our regular meeting.
[1:05:32] We're going to go to the public hearing portion of the case. You know, again, I remind you,
[1:05:38] I know this is a touchy subject for the neighbors, and I know that everybody wants to speak.
[1:05:44] We're going to do three minutes per person with a 15-minute cap. I'll try to be as
[1:05:47] diligence as I can. I'm going to be strong on the three minutes of Vice Chair Bacon.
[1:05:51] It's going to keep the time. At 245, we'll give you a heads up. If we can be respectful each
[1:05:55] of the three minutes and then if we have one or two additional people need to go we'll
[1:06:00] deal with that at that time. So we're going to do the people who are for the application
[1:06:03] first in no particular order, whoever would like to go, you're a more than welcome to.
[1:06:08] We have the cards we'll call them out and if there's anyone else that would like to speak
[1:06:14] that hasn't given us the card yet please do. There's a clipboard here that you can fill it
[1:06:18] out so first we're going to do those four Thomas Crump.
[1:06:26] And if each one of you give us your name
[1:06:27] and address for the record, as clear as possible.
[1:06:31] So the video and the audio device can pick that up,
[1:06:35] that would be great.
[1:06:36] I think we need to drop back to the traffic engineer.
[1:06:38] I missed his name and address, if we get that for you.
[1:06:41] If we leave, get that to staff.
[1:06:43] I'll quick on the draw on that one.
[1:06:44] I missed the name.
[1:06:47] I'm Thomas Dick Grump doing here.
[1:06:49] My address is 3744.
[1:06:51] of Kettle Crow, Memphis, my great granddaughter has been a beneficiary of both
[1:07:00] I for the last, this is her second school year, and as her great granddad, we moved to
[1:07:07] Memphis seven years ago to help my granddaughter who at that time selected out of a national
[1:07:14] search by Mayor Farmerman Strickland to be his chief of HR and Chief of
[1:07:21] I had to bring back Ron and all that, but her daughter, her baby daughter, Sabrina Smith, my
[1:07:27] great granddaughter, has this dexilexia, and was really struggling, and Boda and has been
[1:07:36] a blessing.
[1:07:37] It's been almost a miracle from where she came from when she started their last year versus
[1:07:42] now, and I've been very involved with this because I picked her up in the summer program
[1:07:50] every day. Last year and this year and I can tell you some of the things you're
[1:07:56] talking about along the cars, Q and all that. I've got Mazda early as 1130. I've
[1:08:02] got Mazda early as 1115. And on well in Yesteros, I mean on the dogwood and then
[1:08:10] to Yesteros. And once they ring the bell and the students start coming out, it is a
[1:08:17] very efficient and quick process.
[1:08:20] And let me say this.
[1:08:22] I'm a former city councilman for 12 years.
[1:08:25] I'm a former member as a council member,
[1:08:28] council appointing to the plan and the development commission.
[1:08:32] I've been a chairman of board of hospital,
[1:08:35] I've been, I've been taken to college in Indiana.
[1:08:38] Very strong background in public service and community service.
[1:08:43] I feel very strongly about the need of health care
[1:08:47] and what happens with young people, and both I, and is really providing something that is needed
[1:08:53] for those people who have that problem.
[1:08:56] It's been phenomenal.
[1:08:58] And if you would know my great-grandfather, seen her last year and see her not, you would know that
[1:09:08] what they're proposing.
[1:09:09] And any time the principal of Master of Bodhisattva in tell you, sir, that he is totally supportive
[1:09:19] of you making an amendment or providing an addition to this legislation to cap that program
[1:09:28] going forward at 140.
[1:09:29] I don't know anything, it could be more harmful than that.
[1:09:33] The other questions that have been...
[1:09:35] In seconds, sir.
[1:09:36] Okay. I've made my point. Thank you very much.
[1:09:40] Thank you Mr. Proud.
[1:09:44] Hi.
[1:09:44] Who's next?
[1:09:45] Dr. Mary McDonald.
[1:09:56] Good evening.
[1:09:57] My name is Dr. Mary McDonald.
[1:10:00] 21, 75, wick or shame-line, Germantown, Tennessee. I am here to speak on behalf of Bowdoin School's New
[1:10:08] Building Project. I speak both as a resident who has proudly called
[1:10:14] Germantown home for the past 44 years, and as a educator with more than 50 years experience,
[1:10:22] as a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, and an education consultant.
[1:10:29] I, excuse me, I know firsthand what makes a community thrive, and what makes a school
[1:10:36] truly exceptional. In my 50 years in education, I have learned that one size does not fear all.
[1:10:44] Bowdown's mission is to teach children with dyslexia to read and succeed.
[1:10:49] This lecture is not a reflection of intelligence.
[1:10:54] It is a fundamental difference in how the brain process is language.
[1:11:00] General classroom settings, despite their best efforts,
[1:11:04] are not always equipped to provide the intensive, specialised instruction these children need.
[1:11:11] Bowdoin offers a tailored evidence-based approach that turns struggle into strategy.
[1:11:17] I have watched children enter its stores, frustrated, and defeated, and emerged as confident, capable, scholars.
[1:11:28] Bowdoin does more than teach students how to read if we stores their self-worth and unlocks their potential.
[1:11:36] This is not an untested experiment. For 54 years, Bowdoin has angered specialized learning right here in Germantown.
[1:11:46] It's five plus decade track record speaks for itself.
[1:11:52] Dermant to Hanna has rightly been celebrated for the outstanding reputation of all
[1:11:58] his schools, both public and private.
[1:12:01] Bode Island is an essential threat to that rich tapestry of educational excellence, filling
[1:12:08] a vital niche that is made by these students.
[1:12:12] Bowdoin is also a good educational neighbor. Each year the school offers seminars for people in public, for teachers in public and private schools, sharing its expertise and practical methods for teaching children with dyslexia.
[1:12:28] That outreach extends Bowdoin's impact beyond its own classrooms, helping more children across Georgetown and Shelby County, learn to read and succeed.
[1:12:38] To continue this vital work, BODY needs a facility that matches the quality of its instruction.
[1:12:47] 15 seconds, man.
[1:12:48] This new building project is an investment in our city of Germantown's reputation for civic and educational excellence.
[1:12:57] As a 44-year resume resident of Germantown and a lifelong educator, I ask for your support for BODY's building project.
[1:13:06] Thank you.
[1:13:06] Thank you, Dr. McDonald.
[1:13:09] How many do we have on the fore side, how many cards do we have?
[1:13:13] We have eight.
[1:13:15] Okay.
[1:13:15] And then we also have four that are on that didn't check.
[1:13:19] So I don't know if they're four against and then we have a stack of against.
[1:13:23] Ashley Jamison.
[1:13:32] Mr. Chairman.
[1:13:34] Yes.
[1:13:34] Josh White has assistant city attorney as your parliamentarian.
[1:13:37] I may suggest you do something because if I understand that the rules correctly,
[1:13:41] We're going to give three minutes per card for a maximum of 15 minutes.
[1:13:47] It's correct.
[1:13:48] If that's what we're going to hold to, you may want to ask the speakers if they because
[1:13:53] Ms. Gorleski is just going in order.
[1:13:56] So you may want to ask when you call the people up if they want to pass.
[1:14:00] And then we don't exhaust 15 minutes, then we can come back to those people who chose to pass.
[1:14:06] One suggestion.
[1:14:06] Yes, sir.
[1:14:07] And you know as that's I asked how many there were eight so five times 15s three that means there's three extra. I mean
[1:14:13] You know I'm inclined that we have three extra people. They took time out of their data come up here
[1:14:19] We're volunteers as well. We're here. We're here to volunteer to do this. So I'm I'm a if it was 15 additional people
[1:14:25] We won't think but I think for three additional people. We we've given their time
[1:14:28] That's great but under our rules. We give each side equal times. Yes, I remember how much extra time. Yes, okay. Thank you for that
[1:14:37] for the first time.
[1:14:37] Yes, ma'am.
[1:14:38] It was ash agencies.
[1:14:40] I live at 24-02 yesterday.
[1:14:45] My name is Ashlee,
[1:14:47] and I live just three doors down from Bodine School.
[1:14:51] I'm standing here tonight wearing two hats.
[1:14:53] First is an immediate neighbor and second is the mother,
[1:14:56] Caroline, a Bow 9-3rd grader.
[1:14:58] For decades, Vodine has been more than...
[1:15:00] In school in our street, it's where our children learn to run, ride bikes, play ball and experience what real community means.
[1:15:06] But I'm bringing the sound of laughing children by day and open this playground to neighborhood kids every evening and weekend.
[1:15:11] They are truly one of the best parts of living on our street. We had no idea that a decade after moving in, we would end up a bow-dine family.
[1:15:19] If you've ever watched your child's struggle to read, it's hard to describe the heartbreak. Before bow-dine, I watched my daughter sit a to-desk every day, feeling invisible, defeated and completely overwhelmed.
[1:15:30] When a child with dyslexia is in a traditional classroom,
[1:15:33] they don't just fall behind, they lose their spirit.
[1:15:35] I watch my little first graders slowly start to believe
[1:15:38] the cruelest lie a child can tell themselves
[1:15:40] that she just wasn't smart enough.
[1:15:43] Boda gave Caroline her light back.
[1:15:45] They didn't just teach her how to read,
[1:15:46] they restored her dignity, her confidence,
[1:15:48] and her self-worth.
[1:15:50] Boda and is the only place in the midst of South
[1:15:51] that can work this kind of miracle
[1:15:53] and God knew what he was doing when he moved
[1:15:55] just to yes drugs.
[1:15:57] Boda and his asking for approval tonight
[1:15:59] to add a few more classroom to its campus.
[1:16:01] They are not attempting a massive commercial transformation,
[1:16:04] but rather updating their facilities
[1:16:05] to open its doors to 40 more children
[1:16:07] who process the world a little differently.
[1:16:10] That is 40 more carolines and 40 more parents sitting
[1:16:13] at home tonight, praying for a lifeline for their child.
[1:16:17] I know some neighbors have valid questions
[1:16:19] about traffic and drainage,
[1:16:20] but Bowdoin is solving these issues on their own dime.
[1:16:23] The new 43 card driveway is engineered
[1:16:25] to pull carpools queuing,
[1:16:27] I'd like to state that I've talked to five of the neighbors that live from Bodine to Dogwood.
[1:16:32] I think there's seven of us total that have said this is going to be wonderful for that side of Dogwood that deals with the actual carpool.
[1:16:42] We on Yester Oaks have to ask ourselves about the alternative.
[1:16:46] If Bodine is ever forced to relocate, do we really want to develop or packing this beautiful land with high density zero lot line homes?
[1:16:53] losing Bodine's presence would be a tremendous loss to our neighborhood's character.
[1:16:58] At the end of the day, this isn't just about sight plans or traffic studies, it's about children.
[1:17:03] As someone who has watched that carpool line right outside my window for 12 years,
[1:17:08] I know it takes about 15, 20 minutes of extra patience a day,
[1:17:12] but giving a child their confidence back, giving a child their future back, that lasts forever.
[1:17:17] Let's show our community's best self by choosing grace and support for a school that brings so much good to the world.
[1:17:23] As Bowdine's neighbor and from the absolute bottom of a mother's grateful heart, I ask that you approve this plan.
[1:17:29] Your 15 seconds, yeah.
[1:17:30] Thank you, Bowdine, for saving my daughter.
[1:17:33] Yes, your oaks is your home, and there is no greater privilege as your neighbor than watching the miracles you work every day in our own backyard.
[1:17:40] Thank you very much.
[1:17:45] Ann Bronson?
[1:17:54] My name is Ann Bronson.
[1:17:56] I live at 2 to 4 of Lynn Alden.
[1:18:01] My husband, Don, and our Cody-Scran parents.
[1:18:06] Cody lives in Colorado, and it tends bowed on when Cody was in nursery school,
[1:18:12] his teacher taught us that in her 35 years of teaching,
[1:18:17] Cody was one of the smartest children she's ever taught.
[1:18:20] So when he started writing his name, CO-D-Y, and then the next time CO-B-Y, we thought maybe he was just being lazy, but reading was a challenge, and because Cody has a twin brother, it became even more obvious that something wasn't right.
[1:18:45] Cody was tested and found to be severely dyslexic at the time we knew very little about what
[1:18:52] that really meant.
[1:18:54] His parents found tutors that trained in the Orton-Gillingham method that bowed on uses,
[1:19:01] but tutoring once or twice a week was not getting it done.
[1:19:09] He began having problems at school when other children call you dumb.
[1:19:14] It does nothing for yourself as sting.
[1:19:18] After I installed it, I exhausted search for ways to help him.
[1:19:22] My daughter discovered Bowdoin.
[1:19:24] Amazingly, it was only a mile from our house.
[1:19:29] Cody's dad was not on board at first,
[1:19:32] but the more he learned about dyslexia,
[1:19:35] the more he realized he probably had it himself.
[1:19:39] He had hated school because it had always been a struggle.
[1:19:44] So he still amazed that Cody wants to go to school early every morning.
[1:19:50] He says, who goes to school early?
[1:19:53] We originally signed up for one year.
[1:19:56] We're now in our third.
[1:19:57] Cody's self-confidence has...
[1:20:00] It's ground tremendously, and he's not the same child he was three years ago. He looks forward to school, even the homework. The students at Bowdoin are proud of their school. Recently, Cody was flying back to Colorado, wearing a bowdoin shirt. And he said he wanted the world to know about Bowdoin. That says everything to me. It makes me sad to think about all the children who need what Bowdoin has to
[1:20:29] given Cody, but who are turned away simply because there's not enough room.
[1:20:36] For Cody Vodon doesn't just change how he learns, change how he sees himself.
[1:20:42] Please approve this building extension so that more children can have that same opportunity.
[1:20:50] Thank you.
[1:20:50] Thank you, ma'am.
[1:20:55] Thank you, Warren.
[1:20:58] Mr. Yeulhorn.
[1:21:06] Mr.
[1:21:10] Yeulhorn.
[1:21:11] I live at 85, $59 good road and I'm also the chairman of the Board of Sunning Appeals
[1:21:18] and I'm like the record to state that should this for any reason come before the BCAA.
[1:21:23] I'll be refusing myself and Jim, Jim, some of the BCAA as well.
[1:21:28] May myself a few notes.
[1:21:32] My wife and I have the longest adjacent property line with Motown property because our property
[1:21:39] was the Brow.Bodans until they built the school and parceled that off for the school.
[1:21:50] And let's see what else, my little bullet points here.
[1:21:53] They've always been a terrific neighbor and have been very considerate of us and others.
[1:22:02] The largest question, regardless, is primarily traffic,
[1:22:11] and they're going from a queueing
[1:22:13] I thought it was five, but it's going to go to something in the 40s, and so it's a reversal
[1:22:21] from what it used to be, what's better than that.
[1:22:26] I mean, that shows that they're good neighbor, right there, and I don't know of any
[1:22:31] schools, long dogwood, you've got St. George's, got Boda, and you've got Dogwood Elementary.
[1:22:39] I think it goes on out to Houston, Nill, and Department to Nell Elementary. I mean, they
[1:22:46] all queueed up on the streets and didn't seem to be in the world and those are all residential
[1:22:51] neighborhoods. So what's the rub? Unless it's just somebody's got to be in debt, I don't
[1:23:01] Let's see if I can read my writing here.
[1:23:06] One thing we've been in our house for about 30 years,
[1:23:12] and one of the greatest joys in my life, in my life,
[1:23:17] is hearing the playground squeals in the laughter
[1:23:20] of those kids midday.
[1:23:24] And I mean, it's akin to how much you enjoy here in the birds,
[1:23:27] and it's your house in the morning and afternoon.
[1:23:30] The one regret I have is that that where they're put in the building could preclude me being able to hear all that.
[1:23:40] That's probably, they're doing a great job, but they wouldn't be expanding.
[1:23:45] So I hope that you will approve this request.
[1:23:50] Thank you.
[1:23:51] Thank you, Mr. Yon, and
[1:23:56] thank you for your service on many occasions in Germantown.
[1:24:05] Dr. Renee Lee.
[1:24:20] Hi, my name is Renee Freemes Lee.
[1:24:22] I live at 54 and 97, sick and more grow than Memphis.
[1:24:26] I was head of Bowdoin School from 1990 to 2012.
[1:24:32] So I have some historical perspective.
[1:24:36] I think many people don't remember or don't know.
[1:24:40] The school started out as a high school.
[1:24:42] So we had drivers, rather than parents, picking kids out, that was certainly probably a struggle for the neighborhood.
[1:24:52] But once we defined our mission, once we recognized that the earlier we intervened with children who had returned.
[1:25:00] meeting problems. The better off everyone is, that's when the queueing problem started. And we've tried to address
[1:25:07] that queueing problems in many ways, have tried to be a good neighbor. And for the most part, we have, I think, succeeded in that.
[1:25:18] I can talk about the queueing as a grandparent, also since I now pick up my grandchild from time to time.
[1:25:26] And honestly, 15 minutes the queue is gone.
[1:25:30] It does not take much time.
[1:25:33] I also want to just say that Germantown has a real jewel
[1:25:37] in the Bowdying School.
[1:25:39] And we are so grateful to the Bowdying School
[1:25:43] for having the property to put the school on
[1:25:46] and to be a part of Germantown.
[1:25:48] We have worked cooperatively with Germantown
[1:25:50] and with our neighbors, and we will continue to do so.
[1:25:54] Bowdine was the first and only school in the state of Tennessee for dyslexic students.
[1:26:03] And that's an important ground in our and German town.
[1:26:09] So please approve this and as again, as a personal note, my granddaughter and first grade as she began to struggle.
[1:26:19] I called John Murphy, and I said, I need a spot, and he said, I don't have one.
[1:26:26] I was a former head of school, and I couldn't get in.
[1:26:29] We need those extra classrooms.
[1:26:32] We need to provide this.
[1:26:34] She is now a third grader, and doing well, and I am very grateful.
[1:26:41] Surprised that I'm back at Bowtime after all these years, but Bowtime is an absolute essential service for this community.
[1:26:48] Thank you.
[1:26:53] Thank you, Dr. Andy.
[1:26:54] Sandra Sanders.
[1:26:59] Sandra Sanders. My address is 28 of six Hunter's Forest
[1:27:03] Stride, German town.
[1:27:05] We've been here 10 years, and what I will tell you is,
[1:27:11] I got the knock on the door, then nobody ever wants to have.
[1:27:15] It was a pleased department holding the five-year-old
[1:27:18] who ran away from home.
[1:27:20] She didn't want to go to school.
[1:27:24] That's what dyslexia is. It destroys children.
[1:27:29] And it doesn't matter the school, it can be public, it can be private, it can be any of them.
[1:27:34] But when you're five-year-old, can't go back to school, because they feel like a failure.
[1:27:41] We have to do something. And there's 40 kids out there, wait, we can get in.
[1:27:46] In the humble beings' internal way, four kids, who's alive for being destroyed because it is
[1:27:55] not their fault and their parents don't know it, and their educators don't know it because
[1:28:02] it is not widespread across the community yet, and Bowdoin is working on hard to make
[1:28:07] that happen across this community.
[1:28:10] So, I want you to think about, I have two children there, both dyslexic, I've spent five
[1:28:16] years in that carpool line. And I can tell you, with the utmost respect, every parent is not
[1:28:22] blocking a driveway. No parent is running into the parked car of the neighbor that has
[1:28:27] a sitter there to help out. The families are very respectful to that neighborhood, because
[1:28:34] we know what it's like to not have that. And I ask for you to think about, yes, it could
[1:28:41] and it seems for a handful of families, and I'm sorry for that.
[1:28:45] But when we have kids coming out of a school, like this, my child could look you with
[1:28:50] eye, until it's a great.
[1:28:53] She went from the kid on the playground, shaking hands with every kid to the kid on the
[1:28:57] playground, who wouldn't even climb the slide.
[1:29:01] But I changed her life.
[1:29:04] She's now in ninth grade, she's a 4.0 on her student at Saint George's.
[1:29:10] She is thriving and doing well because of what they did for her.
[1:29:15] My son is in sixth grade.
[1:29:18] He spent his time with her nine as well.
[1:29:20] And I had that same call in second grade when I was told there was not a spot for him.
[1:29:25] So in third grade we got there.
[1:29:27] Fourth grade we got there.
[1:29:28] Now he is at Saint George as well.
[1:29:29] Sixth grade he is thriving.
[1:29:31] He's got a full point of as well.
[1:29:33] So I will ask you to think about what our opportunity is here.
[1:29:38] Okay, if you want to look at prisons and kids that can't read, what percentage of them are just
[1:29:43] toxic, and I don't know that set up off the top of the head I used to, so you're 15 seconds.
[1:29:49] Say again?
[1:29:50] You have 15 seconds.
[1:29:50] 15 seconds.
[1:29:51] So I want you to think about, do we want to help build this community that needs it so desperately
[1:29:56] to keep our kids out of prison because they can't read?
[1:29:59] And because there
[1:30:00] Our failing in school, or give 40 more kids an opportunity to be a Steve Jobs, an Albert Einstein, or any other
[1:30:07] successful CEO, which there's lots of them that have dyslexia.
[1:30:11] So I ask that you support this bill and forgive us for the neighborhoods, because I think
[1:30:16] they'd see the big vision if we could share it with them.
[1:30:18] Thank you, ma'am.
[1:30:19] Thank you.
[1:30:24] So Chairman, we have four that they didn't check either support or opposition, and then we have
[1:30:30] opposition.
[1:30:30] And so, how is it?
[1:30:31] What's the situation?
[1:30:32] Is anybody left?
[1:30:33] I want to speak for this application at this time.
[1:30:36] Anybody turn in the card that you didn't check?
[1:30:38] And your name is?
[1:30:40] Is that one of our?
[1:30:47] And there is there somebody else?
[1:30:48] Where's the hand?
[1:30:49] Where's the hand?
[1:30:50] Where's somebody else?
[1:30:50] Where's the hand?
[1:30:51] Who wants to speak for?
[1:30:52] And do you have a sheet?
[1:30:54] What was your name, sir?
[1:30:57] Rossence.
[1:30:58] Thanks, sir.
[1:30:58] Yes, ma'am.
[1:30:59] I'm Liz Simone and I live at 2494 Windy Oaks.
[1:31:02] And I was one that wrote in.
[1:31:04] because I was concerned about the traffic passing when the eggs.
[1:31:09] But after seeing the numbers, it looks like there are only 15 cars, which I didn't know at the time.
[1:31:15] But I'm okay with this plan.
[1:31:18] But I just have a concern about the numbers,
[1:31:21] because how do you get 58 cars, 43 of which will queue in the property,
[1:31:28] and that will leave 15 extra out of 140,
[1:31:31] that is because I want my dog and maybe that's the question for the headmaster, but how
[1:31:38] did you get only 58 cars out of the 150 kids going to school?
[1:31:45] Because I don't want my dog
[1:31:46] there, you know, they have the person's name and the student's name, and I don't see more
[1:31:52] than one name, so I don't see a lot of carpools, so I just don't understand how it's only
[1:31:58] 15 extra cars are only 58 total cars out of 140 students and we'll let you address that with the headmaster and or our staff or somebody and this is just this isn't Q and A as much as just this is to be heard okay.
[1:32:13] Thank you, ma'am.
[1:32:16] Ron Spence.
[1:32:16] for
[1:32:21] everything that's been said positive, I come from a family that certainly if you would give
[1:32:26] us your name and address for the next excuse me. Ron Spence, 8475 drew a relay and my drive
[1:32:33] ways on Wendy Oaks. The only thing I want to say is I'm totally in support of the school.
[1:32:41] It's all been said. But using the aforementioned thing that came up and didn't really come
[1:32:48] today was possibly using windyokes as an added traffic. I want everybody to understand that
[1:32:57] windyokes is a fraction of the width. It has no sidewalks all the children on our street or
[1:33:04] in the street on their bicycles and their feet. The other street is 30 percent wider and
[1:33:12] entire lane, it has setbacks and then it has sidewalks, we don't have any of that.
[1:33:19] So it would be a safety item for fire trucks, ambulances, the male carrier would not be
[1:33:25] able to get up, when the oaks with a Q&A cars, it just wouldn't be possible.
[1:33:33] And I've had some experience with emergency calls and seconds count.
[1:33:38] And if you can't get an ambulance, I'm going to deal with which you would not be able to.
[1:33:44] It's going to matter.
[1:33:45] But everything else I agree with completely.
[1:33:47] I love this school.
[1:33:49] I love what they do.
[1:33:50] Thank you, Mr. Spence.
[1:33:53] All right.
[1:33:53] I believe that concludes everybody who wishes to speak for the application.
[1:33:57] So we'll revert now over to the anybody who wishes to speak with concerns on the application.
[1:34:04] And just for the record as our legal counsel said, I count the way at nine people speak, so we would have up to nine people on the concerns side if that's where we get to.
[1:34:14] Larry Welles?
[1:34:26] I don't know how to be brief, so I'll help you with this.
[1:34:29] If I can't make that happen.
[1:34:32] My name is Larry Welles.
[1:34:33] I live at 8570 Redbud Trail Cove.
[1:34:36] I've been there for 26 years.
[1:34:39] Um, we think great neighbors, uh, the only issue I wanted to bring to the committee today
[1:34:48] is I, um, increasingly, for the last 20 years, the drainage has become more and more predominantly.
[1:35:00] Flawing from Bodine into all of the backyards on the south side of red, but south side of your property.
[1:35:10] And I know about the city's drainage plan and their difficulties in being able to find a solution for us.
[1:35:18] And I know that Bodine's been very kind and offering their property to help alleviate those problems.
[1:35:24] Um, I hope in this construction that some of the existing issues with the drainage into the houses or the backyards on the south side of your property can be mitigated with your new construction.
[1:35:40] That's all I'd like to ask.
[1:35:41] I don't have hose construction.
[1:35:43] I think that you guys do a great job.
[1:35:45] You're great neighbors.
[1:35:47] Please help us out.
[1:35:48] We're drowning.
[1:35:48] Thank you, Mr. Wills.
[1:35:53] Cynthia Tucker?
[1:35:54] Dr. Cynthia Tucker?
[1:35:55] As
[1:35:59] she said, I am Dr. Cynthia Tucker, and I am a newbie.
[1:36:04] Be generous for the record point.
[1:36:06] Thank you.
[1:36:06] It's two, four, four, six, red bud trail drive.
[1:36:10] I've only lived in the neighborhood less than a year actually,
[1:36:15] and interestingly, I didn't even know all of this was going on
[1:36:19] until I heard some of the neighbors discussing it.
[1:36:22] And no one has said, pardon me, no one has said anything negative
[1:36:26] about Bodine School at all.
[1:36:28] However, I would, and I have not, I don't know the history,
[1:36:32] literally, I've shown up today.
[1:36:34] So it's all new to me, but I would like to express some concerns
[1:36:38] that I hope will be taken and reviewed objectively,
[1:36:43] given the data that you all have,
[1:36:44] and I don't know if it's accessible to us or not.
[1:36:47] However, it's two categories.
[1:36:49] One would be what was just brought up about the ability
[1:36:53] to get in and out of the neighborhood, and the other would be the congestion.
[1:37:00] Go into it, it wasn't even thinking about this, as I said, I'm a newbie, but going up
[1:37:05] and down dogwood because my parents live on the other side of dogwood and going up and
[1:37:10] down dogwood for several years, I'm originally from San Diego, so I do not have age or
[1:37:20] Georgia's, when you have Farmington on courtes, when you have, is it Riverdale? What's the
[1:37:31] elementary? Thank you. They're at 4 cell Irene. Basically, every way that we have to get
[1:37:37] in and out is occupied. So my father did, people are bringing personal things up. My father
[1:37:45] had a heart attack year and a half ago, and Vinnie had a follow-up situation that was very intense.
[1:37:54] He doesn't live on my side, but I'm just saying that there are real considerations for the
[1:37:59] ability to get in and out of the neighborhood.
[1:38:03] And I don't know what a collector's street is.
[1:38:05] I'd never heard of that, but I'm intrigued.
[1:38:07] And I looked it up.
[1:38:08] I'm wondering if, sorry, again, I'm new to the neighborhood, and I wasn't expecting
[1:38:14] to be here. What is the street where boat I actually is? Thank you. I don't know if that is
[1:38:21] the same size as courtes and dogwood. I don't know with those considerations, but I do
[1:38:28] feel that they are valid and worthy of consideration. Secondly, is the problem with the flooding.
[1:38:37] It is pretty intense and, again, I missed the last meeting, which is separate from this on what's going on with drainage blood.
[1:38:46] You're at 15 seconds.
[1:38:48] So it is very intense.
[1:38:50] It's a real thing.
[1:38:52] And again, I hope that you all would be looking out for us because we're not even eligible.
[1:38:57] Some of us were flood insurance, but we are certainly have to having lived there for a few months.
[1:39:02] and a situation where we could be flooded, and that would not be fun, especially with no insurance.
[1:39:08] So nothing to do with Bojain itself, the mission is wonderful, that people are wonderful,
[1:39:13] and we also have real world concerns that I think should be considered,
[1:39:19] and I didn't know it wasn't answers also.
[1:39:21] So if the Army answers, that we can access, please let us know.
[1:39:25] Thank you, Mr. Tucker.
[1:39:26] I appreciate the time.
[1:39:30] Tim Falls.
[1:39:41] I know I spoke a couple of weeks ago to a preliminary meeting, but I want to say that I don't think there's anyone in this room who would be opposed,
[1:39:54] Just put a great institution and I put it right there with our city.
[1:40:00] Any schools and Madonna Learning Center?
[1:40:04] I would love to help fund raising for a new but on-school building
[1:40:08] where they could get up to 200 students, because that's going to be needed. It's not just 40. It's a lot more. We heard the one in five.
[1:40:17] Something that was missing from the presentation was, you go from current to that other drawing.
[1:40:24] How long does that take the year?
[1:40:28] What is the mitigation in the end?
[1:40:30] How did they get students in and out of the school
[1:40:32] during that year of construction?
[1:40:34] That was not mentioned at all.
[1:40:36] And there got to be plans for that.
[1:40:39] That's a small, sweet and residential neighborhood.
[1:40:43] So I'm not sure if that was ever brought up,
[1:40:46] but I didn't hear it tonight.
[1:40:48] So I think there's still a lot of problems
[1:40:51] and should be tabled until that is settled what's going to happen in the meantime.
[1:41:01] Thank
[1:41:03] you.
[1:41:04] Daniel French?
[1:41:12] I'm Daniel French.
[1:41:13] I live on Wendiox, I'm at 2556.
[1:41:17] I appreciate all of you, your time, really.
[1:41:20] I can tell you're all very listening and I know everybody's had long days,
[1:41:25] so I really appreciate that.
[1:41:27] I wanted to echo Mr. Spence said,
[1:41:30] my understanding, I wasn't at the previous meetings,
[1:41:33] either, but my understanding originally was that
[1:41:36] Wendy Oaks was going to be utilized for traffic.
[1:41:40] I live on Wendy Oaks, I'm at the top of the hill,
[1:41:44] as it goes into yes to roaks.
[1:41:46] It's a very tight curve, it's a small street,
[1:41:50] and any of us that have dropped our kids off
[1:41:55] German town schools knows that you can have a plan for a drop-off, but parents sometimes
[1:42:00] just want to do their own thing and unfortunately vote on can't enforce or keep parents
[1:42:06] awful in the Oaks and I really think there has to be a plan for that.
[1:42:10] That's true.
[1:42:10] I mean we have kids, a whole new families moved in and it drives me nuts but I'm coming down
[1:42:16] the street and their kids are on big wheels all in the middle of the street and it is
[1:42:21] it's just a tight street, people park on the side of the street.
[1:42:25] And so I just want to make sure that that's addressed.
[1:42:28] I also just wanted to say, I think it's unfortunate that
[1:42:31] some comments were made suggesting that there is
[1:42:34] motivation against vote on from the people that
[1:42:37] have reasonable concerns that live in this neighborhood.
[1:42:40] That's very unfortunate.
[1:42:43] That is the furthest thing from the truth.
[1:42:46] I can speak to that for everyone that's here.
[1:42:48] There is no vendetta. I think that word was used. That was offensive to me. I've learned so much,
[1:42:56] just listening to these inspirational stories about what this school does. It's amazing.
[1:43:01] I would love to donate and figure out how to expand vote on. It's amazing. Like hearing about that,
[1:43:10] I think that kind of stuff should just be tossed to the side. I think people that are here tonight
[1:43:15] have genuine concerns about a neighborhood they live in and it's as simple as that and I think
[1:43:21] this process is speak highly of German town that people can come out and express themselves
[1:43:28] and be heard and so I very much appreciate your time and I appreciate the seriousness to which
[1:43:33] this is being taken. Thank you Mr. French and I think the headmaster still here he would definitely take
[1:43:42] Donation Scott sweeter
[1:43:50] my name Scott sweeter and I live at two four six four yes
[1:43:54] Strokes three houses down from bow dines. I've been there since 1994
[1:43:58] So I've lived here for 32 years. There's first fall. There's nobody in this room that has any issues with
[1:44:05] Bow dines itself and especially the education they provide. It's really all comes down to what we've been
[1:44:10] talking about 90% of time is traffic and that being said maybe we need a positive little figure out
[1:44:16] traffic because there was a couple of points that I'm going to add on to one peak to the punchline
[1:44:22] there was a year construction. What's going to happen in that whole year with all those
[1:44:27] cars? The, you know, the math, one lady brought the math. It's like 2.5 people, students,
[1:44:36] per car. I don't know if that's true. I walked out every day with my dog. People probably
[1:44:40] me with a little white dog there, the line goes out, it's still going to go out along.
[1:44:47] It is built to the standards of a collector's street, but let's be clear, it is not a collector's
[1:44:53] street.
[1:44:54] Now, when you say that, the future is like the past.
[1:44:58] You know, bow down and have the opportunity.
[1:45:00] Who needed to go through and make the road through the property to dogwood? I wouldn't be here today if that was, in case nobody would be here, but they didn't. So, you know, you can't change the past, we don't know the future. Right now it's not a collector's street.
[1:45:16] The cars, even though it's built for four lanes,
[1:45:20] is what they say, all the people, you know,
[1:45:22] people park in front of their house.
[1:45:24] And then you add the Congo line,
[1:45:26] and they snake around the cars, and the driveways.
[1:45:29] They do a pretty good job,
[1:45:30] staying away from the driveways.
[1:45:33] And then, you know, then you have the two-way traffic,
[1:45:36] and then you put on the other side,
[1:45:38] landscaping company.
[1:45:39] They don't have the room for the stuff.
[1:45:41] For Mr. Sloan?
[1:45:42] Yeah, I think it might be a good idea to put some schools on signs up, maybe a light, I've never ever seen a Germantown police sit there and monitor that street ever.
[1:45:54] And look, kids, that's high school coming out. They're not going 15. I don't care what the study says. Sometimes they're going 40 easily.
[1:46:02] I've, you know, I'll stare them down, but well, I'm not going to do anything. But you know, there's no signs of school zone.
[1:46:07] make it a school zone unless you don't want to because it's a subdivision, but I've had my driveway blocked over three times.
[1:46:16] One time a lady parked right at the end and I couldn't get on my driveway. I did call her, I'm down
[1:46:21] police department and I'm like, wow, she'll eventually leave. She's in the school. I was late to work that day.
[1:46:27] And that's a rarity and I've went and talked to the admin up at Bowdoin and they were great and they kind of
[1:46:37] And there's people who have their trash not picked up, and you're 15 seconds, sir.
[1:46:44] And that Lakongoline, it's a solid, it starts at 3 o'clock.
[1:46:48] So, but anyhow, I'm just saying that we need the baby pause and look at this traffic,
[1:46:53] because we spent way too much time looking at it right now.
[1:46:55] We have more questions and answers.
[1:46:57] Thank you.
[1:46:58] Thank you, Mr. Switton.
[1:47:00] Mark Mr. Ray.
[1:47:09] Hi, Mark Mr. Ray.
[1:47:10] 2411, Mr. Oxtrive.
[1:47:12] I've been living directly opposite boat.
[1:47:14] That was a little quick.
[1:47:15] How do you spell your last name?
[1:47:16] B-U-I-S-S-E-R-E-T.
[1:47:19] Thank you.
[1:47:20] I quit.
[1:47:21] You don't have to worry about it.
[1:47:21] Start saying it.
[1:47:23] I've lived the opposite boat I for 15 years,
[1:47:25] and I can corroborate what a lot of these folks are saying
[1:47:27] about the amount of time that actually cars are queued up.
[1:47:31] Definitely starts before 3.
[1:47:32] Been working at home for seven years now.
[1:47:35] I can see every day, they queued up.
[1:47:37] No objection to bow down in general.
[1:47:39] I just think that they need to retake another look
[1:47:41] those projections on cars queuing, cars pursuit and all that. I think they're very optimistic,
[1:47:47] they assume perfect behavior from people with parents cycling in and out every, every
[1:47:53] couple of years on average, two to three years. I just don't think it's going to be as
[1:47:57] rosy as they think it will be. So, that's all I have to say. Okay. Thank you, sir.
[1:48:04] Rand Bolton?
[1:48:09] Hello, my name is Rand Bolton. I live at 24, 22, yesterday I was dropped. Thank you
[1:48:13] to the Planning Commission for allowing me to speak today.
[1:48:18] My family is a supporter for the success of vote on however their current side is obviously not the proper location for a 41 to 44,000 square foot school.
[1:48:28] In addition to safety and traffic concerns, the Planning Commission should not approve the proposed final site plan for several reasons.
[1:48:35] As you know, a private school can be approved as a conditional use in the art district.
[1:48:40] However, according to the zoning code and I quote,
[1:48:42] use is permitted by a conditional use permits shall be located only route designated as either a major street or a collector street on the official major road plan.
[1:48:55] Yesteroke does not qualify. Planning staff states in the report that to be a collector street it must be a link between two major roads.
[1:49:02] The city decided in 1981, 41 years ago, that yesterday folks would not be a collector
[1:49:09] street, would not connect to Falker Avenue, when they approved the construction of windy
[1:49:13] Oak Strive at the south end. It was not in 2024 as state didn't stop report. Yesterday Oak
[1:49:20] Strive has never been a collector street. The original school building was built in 1976
[1:49:25] on 9.73 acres, which had frontage on dogwood road. Yesterday Oak Strive did not even
[1:49:32] exist. However, in 1997, the school sold 4.5 acres
[1:49:37] fronting on dogwood road, leaving them a low
[1:49:40] frontage on a collector street or a major street. The only access left
[1:49:44] was on Yesterok's drive with only 53 feet of frontage.
[1:49:48] Due to this substantial change to the original property,
[1:49:51] any school approval prior to 1997 should not be relevant.
[1:49:57] City officials have stated that they have a legal opinion
[1:49:59] and at the planning committee.
[1:50:00] Commission does have the authority to approve a conditional use permit on the vote on property. However, the city staff declined to provide a copy of the opinion for review and stated that they had a attorney client privilege. The planning commission should fully review that legal opinion to determine its validity and make it public. The proposed site plan does not address existing code violations on the vote on property.
[1:50:25] These range from the existing parking lot lighting to removal of previously approved landscape
[1:50:29] screens, the existing location of the dumpster violates the zoning code and should be corrected.
[1:50:36] If they're going to spend $10 million, they should be doing it correctly.
[1:50:41] Before a final site plan is approved, the planning commission should confirm that it won fully
[1:50:46] complies with all the requirements of the zoning code, including being a legal use.
[1:50:50] That's going to be difficult since the proposal, obviously, violates the clear language of the code.
[1:50:57] That both on B required correct all existing zoning violations, including installing proper landscape screens and relocation to dumpster.
[1:51:06] The site planche is specifically state the maximum enrollment as Mr. McCurray said.
[1:51:11] And the city, not the school should determine the safest route for school traffic.
[1:51:14] We have a large number of children in the neighborhood of the city should not be taken any action that will increase traffic on these
[1:51:21] residential streets safety for the neighborhood residents who are citizens of Germantown
[1:51:25] Should be a primary concern. Thank you. Thank you, sir
[1:51:33] Mr. McCree that those are all the forms. We have are there any other citizens that would like to speak that haven't spoken yet
[1:51:42] Okay, please please come up and then you have to fill out a sheet after
[1:51:47] Okay. Okay. Thank you.
[1:51:59] So are you wishing to speak or just stretch in your legs?
[1:52:02] Okay.
[1:52:03] Okay.
[1:52:06] Okay.
[1:52:07] My name is Leslie Bolden. I live at 24, 22, yesterday's job.
[1:52:12] My house is directly in front of boat on school, and I've lived there for 30 years.
[1:52:17] When we moved there, we had two little children and a third one on the way.
[1:52:23] And we have enjoyed living in front of boat on all these years when they were little it was a good place to be.
[1:52:29] We were sort of hidden because or they were hidden.
[1:52:33] We had a landscape screen along the back of our fence.
[1:52:37] We didn't feel like the traffic was not as much as it is now.
[1:52:41] They have added on buildings.
[1:52:44] They've added on a garage.
[1:52:46] And so they have increased since size since we've been there.
[1:52:50] And everybody's talked about the traffic and my office is at home and I sit in the window right in front of yesterdays road so I watch that traffic every single day.
[1:53:01] The first car's line up at 245 to 250 and they are outside on yesterdays by 3 o'clock if not sooner.
[1:53:11] So a lot of people don't know that because they're not there, but I'm there every single day, and I watch now the traffic is the least amount of concerns
[1:53:21] Although I am concerned about it
[1:53:24] The fact that they cut down our landscape screen when they told us they would never do that and then they told us they would put something back in place and they never did
[1:53:36] They promised to install a landscape screen or a fence around the dumpster when they installed that even though that was against city code
[1:53:45] They were approved to do it, but only because they would hold the city that they would put up some sort of screening or landscape and they never did it
[1:53:54] They promised to look into changing the street lights that are in their parking lot. There are really street lights not just parking lot lights
[1:54:02] And because they're against code also, they're code violation.
[1:54:07] And they never did anything, so those whites are still there.
[1:54:13] I just want to know, I truly believe that this expansion does not belong in our neighborhood.
[1:54:21] This is a $41,000, I mean, school in our backyard.
[1:54:28] Bowdown as it is has not been an issue except for the traffic and some of the issues that
[1:54:34] they've done as far as the lighting and the parking and the dumpster and our landscape screen.
[1:54:44] I think that the houses around the perimeter that are going to have all their trees cut
[1:54:49] down are going to see that it's not a good thing to have those street light shining in
[1:54:55] house and it's not a good thing to have the school bullhorn.
[1:54:59] You're good.
[1:55:00] Seconds. They use a bullet horn at the end of the day. So anyway, to wrap it up, I don't agree with this expansion.
[1:55:07] I hope that you will take the time to consider all the issues. I don't have a problem with what boat on does and how they do it.
[1:55:15] I just don't think it's needs an expansion of this size in our backyard. Thank you for your time.
[1:55:20] Thank you, Ms. Bowdoin. All right, Ms. Gordon. Unless you got one more, and that will wrap us up because we had nine people on the four side,
[1:55:27] which gave them amount of time per legal counsel.
[1:55:30] We've given the same amount of time with nine people
[1:55:32] on the against side, so you'll be our final speaker tonight.
[1:55:36] My name is William Wates.
[1:55:37] I live at 2447 in Red Blitz-Rail Drive.
[1:55:41] I have a particularly unique perspective in all of this.
[1:55:46] As a young person, I actually
[1:55:47] struggle with severe learning disabilities.
[1:55:49] I actually attended Bowdoin through several summer programs,
[1:55:54] also have family members who have been students there.
[1:55:57] friends so on. So I had to feel somewhat connected to the school, and I usually support
[1:56:04] everything that they do. My one concern that I want to raise as somebody who lives right
[1:56:10] in the southeast corner would be the drainage. Currently,
[1:56:17] nobody else can see it because
[1:56:18] it's in our backyard, but there's a levee built up on the backside of our yard where when it
[1:56:23] running extremely hard, that water comes up, and it even spills over that little levee system.
[1:56:29] And basically, a river going down our driveway, and it actually floods one of our neighbor's homes.
[1:56:35] My major concern during the, particularly during the construction phase of this is what can be done to prevent any of the drainage issues from getting worse.
[1:56:46] Runoff can be an issue during construction projects, all those things.
[1:56:49] So, I just would ask, go down to make it a priority to like, ensure that those grants are clear, and I support everything like they're an amazing thing.
[1:57:01] I'm so thankful they exist, but that's all I want to use.
[1:57:07] So, thank you so much.
[1:57:09] Thank you very much.
[1:57:11] You know, I can't thank everybody enough for coming out tonight on either side of no, whatever there's the outcome.
[1:57:19] that we have before us. There's going to be some people that might be upset and may not, but
[1:57:23] the fact that the system works like this is really great. You know, we come to these meetings
[1:57:29] and there's some times that there's some fairly important things going on and you look and
[1:57:35] there's nobody there and we're out of here in 15 minutes and I've always question that, but for
[1:57:40] you guys to take time out of your evening and away from your families and and come out and express
[1:57:44] your concerns. It's enlightening for all of us as planning commission members and so thank you
[1:57:49] you very, very much for your time and your effort and your words.
[1:57:53] Guests the emotions and the passion on both sides is great.
[1:58:00] So again, I want to speak for all of our commissioners in our city.
[1:58:03] Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight.
[1:58:05] So at this particular point in time, I'll get a motion from our Vice Chair Bacon.
[1:58:09] Would you please make a motion please?
[1:58:14] Motion is the approval, the approval of conditional use permit
[1:58:19] and a revised final site plan for the Bowdoin School 2432 Yesteroke's Drive subject to the staff
[1:58:27] report, conditions of approval, and general requirements listed above plans and documents
[1:58:33] submit with you.
[1:58:34] Thank you Vice Chair Baking, can I get a second?
[1:58:36] Second, we've got a second for our mayor, Paozola, is there any discussion at this particular
[1:58:43] point in time?
[1:58:44] And I'd like to start the discussion with the fact that I'd like to get a motion if possible
[1:58:49] in a second if possible to, again, not knowing the outcome, if it were a positive, though
[1:58:55] I would like to make a motion to what I said earlier, which is an agreement with the
[1:59:01] school, so we don't have additional creep or additional intensity in that regard that we
[1:59:07] would cap the conditional use at 140 students.
[1:59:12] I would second that and support that.
[1:59:14] We got a motion in a second.
[1:59:15] There's any discussion on that.
[1:59:17] Just a clarification from Council, so Chairman Kerry amended the existing motion, is that, is that the correct correct.
[1:59:26] Yeah.
[1:59:27] Okay.
[1:59:27] We got a motion.
[1:59:28] We got a second, and then I made an amended motion.
[1:59:30] Okay.
[1:59:31] And we got a second.
[1:59:32] We're going to vote on the amended motion first.
[1:59:34] Then go back to the original.
[1:59:36] Got it.
[1:59:37] Thank you.
[1:59:37] So no comments.
[1:59:38] Can we get a roll call on the amended motion, please?
[1:59:44] I'm just to clear, I'm voted on the motion, as I'm in it, not the motion itself.
[1:59:49] We're voting on the amendment to be included in the main motion, and then you'll be voting on that main motion with the amendment included if you choose to vote on positive side.
[2:00:00] Mr. Chairman, can you please read exactly what the amendment is?
[2:00:07] I don't know the verbatim words, but the mission here is that the use permit that we are approving,
[2:00:14] the conditional use that we're approving at this time, we'll cap the number of students going forward in perpetuity at 140 students,
[2:00:25] which is there are more allowables to stop but there are more allowable under the permit
[2:00:32] but I'm caping it, I'm asking to cap it at 140.
[2:00:38] Mr. Chairman, I don't think the amendment is necessary if I understood correctly if the school
[2:00:43] wanted to go beyond the 140 student population they would have to come back to the planning
[2:00:50] commission with another proposal.
[2:00:53] Is that correct?
[2:00:53] I'm trying to circumvent that, I would prefer that not to happen.
[2:00:58] I would like to give the neighbors some assurances now at the CAP's 140 today and from
[2:01:02] that one.
[2:01:03] Not the opportunity to come back.
[2:01:05] Mr. Chairman, you can't buy in the future planning conditions.
[2:01:09] I think, the other saying the same thing, if any CAP, if any, if there was any reason
[2:01:16] to exceed 140, the process would be to go through this process again.
[2:01:22] this body can't bind the hands of a future planning commission with with no relief whatsoever.
[2:01:29] Correct, but I can put a condition in the application that they would cap their students at 140.
[2:01:36] It would be a condition inside the application.
[2:01:39] Yes, go.
[2:01:41] But just but that's only applicable to this.
[2:01:44] So really I have to agree that it's not I mean it's stating it and I don't have a problem.
[2:01:52] I'm putting that statement in there, but I don't do that at all.
[2:01:59] But we cannot forbid them from coming back with another application later.
[2:02:04] You can come back to change any law on the city.
[2:02:06] You want to in that regard it by going through the process.
[2:02:09] But this would cap it and not give them an automatic ability to go to 200,
[2:02:14] which is what the use.
[2:02:16] No, they would not have an automatic.
[2:02:18] That's what they're saying.
[2:02:18] There is no automatic.
[2:02:20] They would always have to come back.
[2:02:21] because their application is for 140.
[2:02:23] And that's all we're voting on tonight.
[2:02:28] Well, Mr. Chairman, if we were a colleague,
[2:02:31] Mr. Bacon made the motion, your standard motion
[2:02:36] is approval as set out in the conditions in the site plan.
[2:02:42] So the site plan, theoretically,
[2:02:45] they could accommodate more students
[2:02:47] without amending their site plan, right?
[2:02:49] They could do internal changes to the floor plan.
[2:02:52] and not trigger a visit here.
[2:02:56] So I think without staffing, without placing a condition,
[2:02:59] capping the students, theoretically,
[2:03:01] there would be a way to increase the students
[2:03:04] without coming back to this body.
[2:03:07] Correct.
[2:03:08] The other thing is something.
[2:03:11] I don't know, yes, on the amendment.
[2:03:14] So there's another discussion on the amendment.
[2:03:17] All right, so we need to get a roll call
[2:03:19] on the amended motion, please.
[2:03:23] Yes. Mr. Bacon. Yes. Mr. Sloan. Yes. Mr. Clark. Yes. Mr. Jacobs. Yes.
[2:03:34] Alderman Salvagio. Yes. Chairman McCreary. Yes. Mayor Puelezola. Yes. Thank you for that clarification.
[2:03:41] I'm just quite hit.
[2:03:43] Right, so now we're back to the original motion as a mandate and we're at the discussion
[2:03:48] phase for that.
[2:03:49] Any comments or discussions amongst our commission members?
[2:03:55] Yes, sir.
[2:03:56] Commissioner Clark.
[2:03:57] Can we ask the applicant to come back to answer some of these questions that residents
[2:04:01] brought up?
[2:04:03] You have the ability to do that.
[2:04:05] Well, I just want to really, we talked to the length about the traffic and understand
[2:04:09] all that.
[2:04:10] My questions are some of these issues they've bought up about that I'm going to wear of, you know,
[2:04:16] how they're going to handle this during the during construction.
[2:04:18] And maybe I know I think they said that it's a micro grounder chamber that I guess is doing
[2:04:22] the construction.
[2:04:23] Maybe they can talk to us about that during the during construction and how that's going to,
[2:04:27] the Travis is going to applaud during that time or whoever wants to speak on that.
[2:04:32] Mr. Clark, I would also add Chairman, if you could address some of the issues that were raised
[2:04:39] from Miss Bolden as a next-door neighbor. Very interesting. I don't know, I guess, I would
[2:04:47] ask with the new construction and some of the issues that she raised. Are you addressing
[2:04:52] any of the lighting, the dumpsters, the landscape? Obviously, the drainage, coming there.
[2:05:02] The dumpster, we came before this commission and put a structure around the dumpster. We did cut down scrubby trees and bushes along the fence line that Miss Poland is speaking of.
[2:05:18] It's unaware that we should have gone to the city and we were given marching orders to plan a screen.
[2:05:26] It was during the summer and we're going to get it.
[2:05:29] Years ago, it's been here.
[2:05:30] She's writing and complaining about that.
[2:05:32] We're going to rectify that in the late fall early winter.
[2:05:37] I had a landscape person here.
[2:05:39] He's left.
[2:05:41] But in the late fall early winter, we will rectify that situation.
[2:05:46] the, I don't know what else, so I, the lighting, we have tried to contact MLG and W, they
[2:05:54] are MLG and W is property and with no luck, now we've gotten Kimley Horn involved, our
[2:06:01] engineer, so that's something we're going to be working on during the improvement.
[2:06:07] But once again we tried, but didn't have the right pathway to get MLG and W to give us any
[2:06:14] attention. I mean, they are, I agree with her. They are street lights. I don't know how they ended up there or whatever, but they are street lights. They do provide light in the evening. But yes, we're going to look back. We would, we would like to rectify that situation as well.
[2:06:30] And now the drainage during construction for that grandeur can talk about that.
[2:06:37] I'm Brett Grinder. I live in 1979. I often drive in Memphis, and I work for Grinder Tavering Grinder, and so we are slated to be the general contractor for the project.
[2:06:45] We've done vote on construction, you know, for well over a decade, so we've got a long
[2:06:51] good relationship with the school and, you know, handled construction traffic plans and things
[2:06:56] that nature and the neighborhood, through all those projects.
[2:06:59] Is it a release of this project for the detention question from Mr. Clark?
[2:07:04] It has a, you know, full, a road control plan, as you would expect, the TDAC has to approve.
[2:07:11] It's, you know, it is over five acres.
[2:07:13] So that's, you know, that is subject to T-Dex, notice of intent, and notice of completion
[2:07:19] processes if you're familiar with those.
[2:07:22] And so during construction, we will follow those plans, which include, you know, silt fences
[2:07:28] and waddles and drainage protection, sediment control basins, you know, all the things that
[2:07:32] are included in that plan that are, you know, matter of public record and, and then it has
[2:07:37] an inspection process that occurs during that entire process, you know, there's a relatively
[2:07:41] frequent inspection process, particularly for high-profile projects like this, where we know
[2:07:45] that there's drainage concerns with our neighbors, those inspections are very frequent
[2:07:49] and we keep those inspections and records of the rainfall and things like that as we'll
[2:07:55] kept on-site in a mailbox actually, which is what TDAC requires. So, you know, they're available for review.
[2:08:02] And then, as it relates to the permanent operation of this campus, this is actually a vast
[2:08:09] improvement to the current situation, can we more can speak a little more to this.
[2:08:14] The knock-in is the engineer's record, but it is going to basically create a slow release
[2:08:19] you know, detention they've calculated as my understanding, not to speak for the engineers,
[2:08:24] but they've calculated an over-detention what I call an over-detention situation.
[2:08:28] So, you know, the amount of outflow from this project basically will be detained at a longer
[2:08:33] period of time than it's required.
[2:08:36] Is that the question?
[2:08:40] Sir, appreciate very much. Any other questions?
[2:08:43] Yes, sir.
[2:08:43] Mr. Jacobs?
[2:08:44] There is one more issue that I heard, which was,
[2:08:48] how is the traffic going to be planned for the school traffic during the construction phase?
[2:08:52] I don't think that's been discussed.
[2:08:55] Well, we're not planning on growing our population until the entire project is finished,
[2:09:02] which ideally would be two to three years,
[2:09:05] and so there will be no change in the traffic.
[2:09:08] All of the construction vehicles will be on our site.
[2:09:15] Certainly there will be traffic coming.
[2:09:17] Yes, there will be a construction traffic coming and going
[2:09:19] Will that not interfere with your dismissal process
[2:09:22] or will you for bid construction?
[2:09:24] Yes, we will.
[2:09:25] Grinder Tiber Grinder will work with us
[2:09:27] as to, you know, appropriate times to enter
[2:09:31] and leave the campus, you know, based on our needs of a rival
[2:09:36] and dismissal.
[2:09:37] so that the neighbors should not expect any increase any significant change in the
[2:09:43] the dismissal traffic pattern that you see now during the construction phase.
[2:09:48] Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:09:51] All right. Any discussions amongst our commissioners comments? Yes, sir.
[2:09:55] I'm sorry. I got a little more question. Okay. Just on the the students version.
[2:10:00] This is cars issue that was brought up. I know that one of the ladies that spoke such a two kids that were there, so that council, one person.
[2:10:08] The 58 cars, or one of the math was versus 120 students or 140 students.
[2:10:13] Those numbers came from Kinley Horne's traffic study. That's all, you know, they could, they could answer that question.
[2:10:23] Mr. Murphy, did you also mention that there are numerous after-school programs so that some
[2:10:30] of those students don't leave the campus until four or five, so therefore those parents
[2:10:34] aren't standing in the car line?
[2:10:36] Yeah, that's correct, every day, but Friday we have some type of after, well even on Friday
[2:10:42] we have an after-care program, so I mentioned yesterday's amazing dismissal, well we only
[2:10:49] we had 40 kids at some type of aftercare, aftercare itself,
[2:10:58] it did daycare, basically, or some type of school activity.
[2:11:02] So we only had 54 kids dismissing at the normal time.
[2:11:09] And that's always a factor, right?
[2:11:11] Thank you.
[2:11:13] Any other questions, audience or questions?
[2:11:14] You know, all of them so bad,
[2:11:18] yeah?
[2:11:18] In this in the same thread, I'd engaged staff last week and two items on a list of responses that they provided.
[2:11:28] I just want to bring the light and ask applicant and staff.
[2:11:35] So on the MLG&W Street voice, the information I got back was those pre-day 1998 they've been there for quite some time.
[2:11:43] And there may be an opportunity to put some sort of shielding on those whites or make modifications of those whites,
[2:11:51] maybe through a process with MLG and W, hold that thought.
[2:11:56] And then with the dumpster enclosure,
[2:12:00] that is a minor scene that the school is agreed to put
[2:12:05] approximately 10 evergreen shrubs after we get out of 100 degree heat and they may actually
[2:12:12] have a chance of surviving?
[2:12:14] Yes.
[2:12:15] That's correct.
[2:12:17] So with that gentleman's agreement and board agreement is that something that could be part
[2:12:25] of the down, assuming this passes, if this, if this proceeds, if that could be part of the
[2:12:32] final construction agreement during the construction review process, to have those included in.
[2:12:41] Mr. Selvazio, the Evergreen shrubs are already part of the past approval for the design review commission.
[2:12:47] So at this point, it has been discussed with the applicant and code compliance.
[2:12:51] So this is a code issue that needs to be addressed on a past approval.
[2:12:56] In regard to the MLG&W Streetlight similarly, that is also a code issue that code has been working on together with Mr. Murphy.
[2:13:04] I am not sure about conditioning either of those items for the development contract director Ross.
[2:13:11] I think that there's opportunity to refine their lighting plan as well as their landscape plan as part of their designer view commission's middle, which is the next step in this process.
[2:13:22] So as they get ready to submit those plans to the design review commission, pending approval this evening,
[2:13:31] I think that they should hear what the residents are saying, but to Ms. Coraleski's point,
[2:13:39] the dumpster location was approved by the Ford Zoning Appeals in September of 2022.
[2:13:49] Administrative design review, approval, following that, did require 10 evergreen shrubs,
[2:13:59] that planting follow-ups, slipped through the cracks, and bowed on, has recognized that,
[2:14:05] and will plant those as soon as the temperatures are more cooperative.
[2:14:10] They, to Mr. Murphy's point, as well as staffs, those MLGW streetlights,
[2:14:17] pre-day 1998. There are no city records of when and why those were installed. There was
[2:14:25] no process for approval. They are at least MLG-W Streetlights on private property. They
[2:14:34] have tried working through co-compliance to find shields for those lights as well as work
[2:14:43] with MLGW on replacing those light fixtures.
[2:14:47] They do not make shields for the standard
[2:14:49] coberhead street lights.
[2:14:53] So our suggestion is that they replace the lights as a whole.
[2:15:00] As previously stated, included as part of their design review commission submittal to have a full lighting plan approved with light pictures that are lower and more appropriate for their use in a residential area, institutional use.
[2:15:17] Senator Sandy, these items are out of our purview, but we do have an audience who's concerned and asking a lot of questions.
[2:15:23] and I want to cross a tease about the odds that it weets this conversation makes it to a
[2:15:31] significant passes to DRC as part of their consideration at this part between current.
[2:15:36] And staff will carry these concerns forward as we work with the applicant and they refine
[2:15:41] those plans to submit to the design of the commission.
[2:15:45] And Boedon would like to have more appropriate outdoor lighting as well.
[2:15:50] Thank you, Commissioner Sloan, did you have something?
[2:15:52] I appreciate that because I actually knocked out quite a few things but on the code violations.
[2:15:58] So once they're done with construction and they're wrapping up for their use in occupancy permits.
[2:16:03] Do we not have a path of making sure all code violations have been cleared before they get their final occupancy?
[2:16:10] On larger construction projects but with a dumpster enclosure it was simply a permit that was approved through the Shelby County permit system.
[2:16:20] And again, those landscape shrubs slipped through the cracks.
[2:16:27] I'm sorry, but I'm referring to go forward.
[2:16:30] To go forward, absolutely there is a construction plan review and use and occupancy review.
[2:16:37] Initial acceptance and final acceptance where all of these items will be reviewed as a collective both on engineering,
[2:16:45] construction staff as well as planning staff review before levels of use and occupancy
[2:16:52] or permitted on the building.
[2:16:54] Thank you.
[2:16:55] All right.
[2:16:56] Thank you.
[2:16:56] Any other questions concerns?
[2:16:59] All right.
[2:17:01] Ms. Seneca, I think we're ready for a roll call vote, please.
[2:17:06] Ms. Syssen?
[2:17:14] I want to echo what the Chairman mentioned.
[2:17:18] I appreciate everybody's time tonight listening to all these concerns as we flesh out
[2:17:22] all of these issues, I do think that we can all agree that Bowdoin is got a wonderful mission
[2:17:29] and provides a great service to our community and is certainly important to its students,
[2:17:37] their parents and grandparents and the aunts and uncles and cousins and future employers.
[2:17:44] I noticed as they went through the staff's report that that vote on has met the standards set forth in our ordinances for the tree plan, there's no variances requested, there's owning standards,
[2:18:01] I have, from listening this, it seems that in its current state there is a traffic and safety problem.
[2:18:09] And this is a plan proposed to bring a lot of those cards off of the street.
[2:18:17] So I see this as a positive situation not only for the school, but to address those concerns.
[2:18:28] So I will vote.
[2:18:29] Yes.
[2:18:30] Just to remind her to the commission, as Mrs. Sissended, she stated her reasonings,
[2:18:34] her findings, as related to the conditional use permit, we have those up there on the screen.
[2:18:38] So please be sure to hit on one of those,
[2:18:40] how the project either does or does not meet them.
[2:18:47] Do you miss Gaurlowski, Mr. Bacon?
[2:18:51] I have struggled with this.
[2:18:54] I used to live in the neighborhood.
[2:18:55] I lived in the neighborhood for 16 years.
[2:18:57] I'm very sympathetic to the traffic issues.
[2:19:02] But I'm also sympathetic to an interesting, great neighbor
[2:19:06] vote on school and I want to echo commissioner assistance comments.
[2:19:12] Thank you all for coming.
[2:19:13] This is a reflection of a great process with community participation.
[2:19:20] I don't, I'm going to say that I don't think that I would have supported the expansion
[2:19:27] if the traffic was addressed in the way that it is.
[2:19:32] But it was Mr. Eulorn that made the comment about taking the traffic off the street and putting the traffic on the site where it belongs.
[2:19:41] Unfortunately, at five and a half acres, whatever the total acreage was, you can't get all of the traffic off the street.
[2:19:49] But as it was stated from the traffic study, it will go from a condition that, I think, most of the degrees untenable to plus and minus 15.
[2:19:59] Thank you.
[2:20:00] Out on the street, which is not that many. I'd just like to go on record and say, I think it
[2:20:08] were comments that were made in the sketch plan meeting about an intent to instruct the use
[2:20:15] of windy oaks as an outlet to the parents. I would strongly discourage that. I think it was
[2:20:22] a comment made about the size of windy oaks in the lack of sidewalks and I think it would be
[2:20:28] exceptionally dangerous to take additional traffic on the windy oaks, but I'm going to vote.
[2:20:36] Yes, I think the mission statement is pretty wonderful with vote on and I think the plan
[2:20:42] supports an address to an existing traffic condition that doesn't fairly successfully.
[2:20:53] Thank you, Mr. Sloan.
[2:20:56] So for as much as we appreciate everyone's attendance, it obviously makes our job extremely hard.
[2:21:01] But we do appreciate everybody being here, especially with my previous commissioners have said on the reasons why they have voted yes.
[2:21:09] I too will be voting yes.
[2:21:13] I'm sympathetic for some of the neighbors that have been affected by the traffic.
[2:21:17] I think the school is doing a good job of again reversing that traffic flow.
[2:21:23] you know, understand with the 58 cars at a time, that's a fluid number, obviously it's not all 58 cars, they're showing up at the exact same time, everybody's not leaving at the same time.
[2:21:37] So having cars coming on and off the lot is going to even further mitigate those problems.
[2:21:45] And I also think, and I don't mean for this to sound spicy at all, but
[2:21:51] boat on school being there, someone said it earlier, from an overall neighborhood perspective,
[2:21:58] is a wonderful thing.
[2:22:00] We have applications constantly with people coming in to build neighborhoods and wanting to
[2:22:04] add more and more residential lots, and we have even more people showing up to oppose those
[2:22:11] development. So someone said it earlier, I think, bow down school being here in what they're
[2:22:18] doing is really what's best for the neighborhood and the current conditions. So for that
[2:22:24] reason I'll be putting yes.
[2:22:27] Mr. Clark?
[2:22:30] One of the things we're tasked to look at is whether it has an adverse effect on the neighborhood
[2:22:35] and from all of the numbers that I've looked at and it has been presented in Mr. Yohorn
[2:22:41] stated, we're taking traffic off the neighborhood and putting it on site.
[2:22:45] I look at the current parking situation at 33 proposed to be 66 on site.
[2:22:52] The queueing is currently at 6, the queueing will go to 43 on site.
[2:22:58] Cueing of 35 on the road would now be only 15 cars on the road at max capacity.
[2:23:05] So looking at all those things and what my fellow commissioners have said in the past,
[2:23:10] about this. I too will be voting yes. I think that Bowdown School is a great use for this area.
[2:23:17] I am a residential home voter, so yes, I would love to see this be a dense population of homes in there.
[2:23:23] Be a great location, but, you know, this has been a long staple for Germantown.
[2:23:29] Bowdown School has been and I think expansion of it and getting the traffic.
[2:23:33] The main thing is I think they've done a great job just getting the traffic off the street,
[2:23:36] whether they're doing an expansion or not.
[2:23:38] I think that's doing a great job of being a good neighbor,
[2:23:41] so I'll be voting yes.
[2:23:44] Mr. Jacobs?
[2:23:46] This has been an interesting process for me.
[2:23:51] I am a 40-year resident in the Shelby North.
[2:23:54] I have watched QE in Riverdale School for all those years
[2:23:58] when my kids were in school.
[2:24:00] I know what it's about.
[2:24:03] I am not had any personal contact
[2:24:06] been blessed not to have personal contact with Bodine School for education reasons.
[2:24:13] But I have heard nothing but good things from the day I moved into German town about
[2:24:17] Bodine School.
[2:24:19] And I read through the application several times and realized that the one issue that I had
[2:24:26] to see for myself was a traffic situation.
[2:24:29] Now the engineer in me said it's going to do nothing but improve with this plan.
[2:24:33] But I went over yesterday and today and watched the dismissal process and I'll tell you today it was over by 3.5 by 3.12.
[2:24:42] I looked at my watch while I was walking back to my car. Everyone's gone.
[2:24:46] Yesterday, it was equally as fast or maybe faster.
[2:24:50] It was the most
[2:24:54] fluid flowing process, no problems whatsoever.
[2:24:57] I-I-I-I-I-I.
[2:25:00] I couldn't envision anything better, except that it's got to get better from what the plan is to move, although
[2:25:08] cars that have been, most of the cars that have been queuing to the school grounds. So, I don't
[2:25:16] see anything but a benefit to the city and the school and the neighbors with this application going
[2:25:23] forward. All of the comments that my fellow commissioners have made, I agree with totally, I think
[2:25:28] This is a great asset for the city.
[2:25:31] I think we need to fully support the mission of the school.
[2:25:34] And I think that people that I met from the school now
[2:25:38] give me the impression that they want to work with the neighbors
[2:25:41] as much as they can.
[2:25:44] And I think it's a great process for us to approve.
[2:25:49] So I am voting yes.
[2:25:52] Alderman Selvagio.
[2:25:54] Thank you.
[2:25:56] Like the I think all the families who came out, I've been on commissions for quite a few years and I was along with some of the members, but I think this was the most equal pro and coincide to a conversation I've seen in the long term, and grateful to both on long history with Germantown, you know, per the the list behind me, we're, we're charged to make sure that we can can justify these items.
[2:26:25] This board makes decisions based on compliance and regulations and data, but citizen involvement
[2:26:33] is critical.
[2:26:36] We've got great citizen involvement in this, probably on, as a commissioner, and I'm a fellow
[2:26:43] commissioners, did the same thing.
[2:26:45] We get these questions.
[2:26:47] We ask staff more questions, and it allows us to really check the boxes.
[2:26:52] I do want to hit a few bullet points for real quick where I think Baudin has met this
[2:26:59] list behind those application needs, all of the bulk requirements without exceptions.
[2:27:04] The application has a minimal acreage compliance compliance with enrollment caps and that has been
[2:27:14] addressed even further tonight through the foggier period and henceforth.
[2:27:18] No variances were requested at granted, no reduction,
[2:27:22] or requested in tree mitigation.
[2:27:24] Arbor's report is complete and complaus
[2:27:26] with the primary tree plan.
[2:27:29] 16 trees for acre compliance was met,
[2:27:32] and retaining 21 trees of the end point of fact, 51.
[2:27:37] You know, as far as the drainage concerns,
[2:27:39] drainage is always a concern in Georgetown,
[2:27:42] with topography and pre-existing conditions.
[2:27:45] But, you know, it's important to note that
[2:27:47] We have a stellar engineering department, and I'm convinced that director Alan and her team
[2:27:56] will make sure that the drainage is correct, and that is re-reviewed when it gets through
[2:28:08] the next processes before it goes to a final contract.
[2:28:12] So this isn't the one and only look, there will make recommendations and if the school does not comply with those recommendations to mitigate water run off the project will not move forward.
[2:28:28] The queueing drop-off from 30,000 to 15, we've seen the data again, the stacking makes
[2:28:37] sounds.
[2:28:38] And final point, I appreciate African Murphy making the public comment on record with
[2:28:47] the board in the citizens that they agree to try to help re-educate the drivers, take
[2:28:52] this opportunity if this project does move forward, which looks like it is.
[2:28:56] to always consider mitigating the burden and listening to the neighbors and helping alleviate the challenges they have living in that neighborhood.
[2:29:08] Thank you.
[2:29:09] I'll be voting yes.
[2:29:12] Chair McMurray.
[2:29:14] Thank you.
[2:29:16] So important to point out that this is a process non-event.
[2:29:20] Tonight is planning commission.
[2:29:23] There are other steps that need to be taken to go through the design review commission.
[2:29:27] I think Mr. Bolden has been involved in that process before, with some other things that
[2:29:31] have come from Bowdoin School.
[2:29:32] So there are opportunities to deal with this at that point in time.
[2:29:38] We also have a situation where you have to go through the development process and development
[2:29:43] contract and the engineering department.
[2:29:47] And I have full confidence that our engineer, director Allen, will be on top of her game on
[2:29:55] this regarding drainage.
[2:29:56] Now, with without bow time, red buff.
[2:30:01] If we don't do anything, then I don't approve it. Redblood still a problem. And there is a big macro project as part of the overall drainage projects throughout Germantown with many that are underway and you can get information to some staff, but as we're spoken to earlier, those are being addressed.
[2:30:18] I think the detention basin, I put in a bunch of them and they seem to help and I think
[2:30:25] the detention basin is only going to help put the drainage in a much better position to
[2:30:32] have the macro project help you guys as neighbors so I think they're doing what they need
[2:30:39] to do to be a partner in the drainage along with the city and a public private partnership
[2:30:42] and hopefully the city will get that part right on red bud as they move forward.
[2:30:48] traffic, everybody's stated it's going to be better.
[2:30:51] I think I've definitely agree with that.
[2:30:52] I think the queueing will be less.
[2:30:55] The collector road, whether you believe it exists, it doesn't exist.
[2:30:58] Whatever the case may be, the fact is, it is a collector form and it is big enough to handle
[2:31:04] this.
[2:31:04] It would be without question.
[2:31:06] I would not approve this if this was on a little too lane road or something like
[2:31:09] Wendy Oaks at the street, if the school is on that street, that just you couldn't survive
[2:31:14] with that.
[2:31:15] And, you know, Bowdoin was originated in 1972.
[2:31:18] I don't know who in this room lived in their house prior to 1972 in that area, but it was
[2:31:25] annexed in 1976.
[2:31:27] We all kind of inherited Bowdoin.
[2:31:29] So the city inherited Bowdoin as well as you guys as neighbors.
[2:31:32] I got on land by the last couple of days and looked at several neighbors throughout the
[2:31:36] whole concentric circle, and you know, it is true like Mr. Bowdoin's been there since
[2:31:41] I believe there's a lot of never has been there since the 90s, but there's also some removed in in the
[2:31:45] 2000s, 2008, 2010.
[2:31:48] You know what you're moving into when you move in and boat on school is there.
[2:31:53] You know, when you live by railroad tracks, I live in an entry farm for a while.
[2:31:56] If my wife didn't leave by 230 to go to get Carpool, early Carpool.
[2:32:02] She was stuck at the railroad tracks. That train comes to its will at 230.
[2:32:06] She modified her behavior. She knew to leave a little bit earlier to avoid that train,
[2:32:10] as she gets to the corporate line to get our kids on time.
[2:32:13] If you live by a noon siren, that's no fun.
[2:32:16] You can't be on the phone in your backyard
[2:32:17] during the noon siren.
[2:32:19] If you live by a high school, mayor lives by high school,
[2:32:23] the track, look at the more road, the high school
[2:32:26] with the band and football traffic and all that.
[2:32:29] I mean, the impacts around our city to me
[2:32:32] are far greater than this particular one.
[2:32:34] This is 15 to 40 minutes in the morning, 15 to 40 minutes
[2:32:38] in the afternoon, this stuff around Houston High School, you want to see a problem, go to Houston
[2:32:43] Middle School and go into Dogwood, the state's on gotten way.
[2:32:47] It isn't, it's a free fall, this is doing a great job trying to corral that and get a fence
[2:32:50] around it.
[2:32:51] But there's so many kids, so much traffic, the core pooling goes to concentric streets away
[2:32:56] from the school, kids coming and going everywhere, and I think Bowdoin does a good job
[2:33:01] as anybody when you talk about impact to the neighbors.
[2:33:05] Same thing with Riverdale Elementary, Miller Farms, it cues all the way up to Farmington and they manage that pretty well.
[2:33:14] You know, giving a little grace for achievement, I think it's important, I think we all work together as neighbors in Germantown,
[2:33:20] and I think the impact at Bowdoin School has versus the impact on the neighbors that are affected,
[2:33:26] It seems to the positive, seems outweigh the negative for me, especially since the negative has been around since even the latest upgrade was 1996.
[2:33:36] I mean, that's a long time ago.
[2:33:38] And it's been this way for quite some time.
[2:33:40] So I think these improvements are going to be very important going forward.
[2:33:44] I think you've got a good team.
[2:33:47] You've got local guys in Todd Walker.
[2:33:50] I don't think he's going to jeopardize doing something incorrectly to affect the neighbors and his design work.
[2:33:55] because you've got to come back here.
[2:33:57] Certainly, the grinders, as he said, decades worth of work
[2:34:00] in our city, I don't know that I've ever heard
[2:34:03] a bad word about them, actually.
[2:34:05] You're a pretty good job across the board.
[2:34:08] They're not in the news with buildings falling down.
[2:34:10] So that's a good thing.
[2:34:12] But they do a good job and they are conscious of their neighbors.
[2:34:15] And that's what it takes to be a good general contractor
[2:34:17] in this city.
[2:34:18] So I plan on supporting the application wholeheartedly.
[2:34:22] Again, there is additional steps in the process
[2:34:25] that people can go to, and one final note, we battle up here about this
[2:34:29] tree mitigation. You would not believe. We spent hours on tree mitigation.
[2:34:34] My hats off to Bowdown School and the presentation you made here, textbook.
[2:34:40] Textbook and getting your arborist, getting your numbers together, putting your
[2:34:44] plan together on the tree mitigation, finding out what your numbers were, figuring out
[2:34:48] what you're going to plant, what you're going to mitigate, and what the calculation is
[2:34:52] I think I was a 10-minute review by most anybody that looked at it and that's never happened in a long, long time, so thank you for that.
[2:35:00] For all those reasons, I plan on voting, yes. Mayor Palazelo.
[2:35:05] It's always nice to have the last word. And that word is yes.
[2:35:11] Motion carries.
[2:35:13] All right. Thank you very much. That is it. For item number 6A, we need to move on to number 7.
[2:35:18] Actually, we'll take just a minute if you guys, if anybody, you're welcome to stay and wants to rest
[2:35:22] this sausage be made. But if you want to take just a minute to leave, you can.
[2:35:28] And then we'll move on to item number seven, although I think director Ross, you kind of covered this in an earlier presentation.
[2:35:35] Do we need to stay on item seven A?
[2:35:38] No, Sarah, I think we can move to eight.
[2:35:41] All right. We're going to move to number eight A.
[2:35:43] Any citizens here today that wish to speak on an item that was not germane to our agenda today?
[2:35:50] Any other items, anything that need to be brought up?
[2:35:53] Anybody wish to speak on an item not on today's agenda?
[2:35:57] All right, we're now moving on to item number nine, which is our commission liaison reports.
[2:36:02] Do any of our commissioners have a report?
[2:36:05] Board of Zoning to bills has not met last month, so I do not have a report.
[2:36:09] Anybody else have a report from their particular commissions?
[2:36:13] I've got an excellent update from Parks and Rec on August 11th.
[2:36:17] We had the honor of dedicating the Riverdale Part to Will Drinnen.
[2:36:24] It's now Will Drennan Field.
[2:36:26] It was an awesome ceremony parks and wrecked with way above and beyond.
[2:36:31] It was more than I could have ever expected.
[2:36:34] And I just appreciate the work and the effort that the mayor, Mary and Gibson, Mr.
[2:36:43] Sove as well, there was just so many people that came out and honored the life and legacy
[2:36:48] of Will Drennan.
[2:36:50] It means a lot to me and my family and all of his friends and family that were there that
[2:36:53] So it was pretty awesome.
[2:36:55] Thank you, thank you.
[2:36:56] Any other commissioner reports?
[2:36:58] Just going to update on transportation.
[2:37:00] We are currently working on an e-bike policy for the city to present to the BMA.
[2:37:05] And we're taking our time and being cautious as we present that given light of our
[2:37:11] neighbors that have had a little push back on their e-bike policy.
[2:37:14] So that we forthcoming to the BMA.
[2:37:18] All right, thank you for that.
[2:37:19] And thank you for your indulgence.
[2:37:20] it's a little unusual tonight what happened when we got to our discussion phase that we called
[2:37:25] on the applicant from a some additional information. But I think that was important because
[2:37:31] it was as from the time put in by the people that came to spoke that spoke that citizens
[2:37:37] be heard. So we don't often have that, we don't know if we can revert back to the applicants.
[2:37:41] And I think that was an important exercise for us and so I appreciate everybody's indulgence
[2:37:45] on allowing that to happen and going back and doing that.
[2:37:49] If there's nothing else, well Mr. Chairman, I'd like to just say that you do a masterful job.
[2:37:54] So thank you.
[2:37:55] Thank you.
[2:37:56] All right, we stand adjourned.
[2:37:59] Was that?