A proposal to convert a two-story commercial building on West Bellevue Drive into a private Montessori school for 24 students will be reviewed Wednesday by the hearing officer.
The plan, submitted by applicant Mark Rivero on behalf of Discovery Days Montessori, seeks a conditional use permit to operate in an existing 3,697-square-foot building at 60-64 W. Bellevue Drive in the South Fair Oaks Specific Plan area. The school would serve transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students and employ six staff members, according to a city staff report.
The proposed hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, including before- and after-school programs.
The project includes an outdoor play area of 1,805 square feet and five parking spaces, meeting zoning requirements, city planners said.
Because private schools are not permitted by right in the Commercial Flex zone, the project requires conditional use approval. Staff recommended approval, finding the plan consistent with the city’s general plan policies on compatible non-residential uses and private school planning.
Commercial properties and child care facilities surround the site, which sits within walking distance of transit stations at Del Mar and Fillmore, according to the report.
Planners concluded that traffic generated by the school — about 25 vehicle trips during peak morning hours — could be contained on-site through designated loading areas and a queueing system.
The school would occupy an existing building and is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act because it represents a negligible expansion of use, the report said.
No exterior building changes are proposed.
If approved, conditions would limit enrollment to 24 students, require compliance with the noise ordinance, and mandate on-site loading and unloading of students.
The applicant must also remove an unpermitted fence and follow fire and water safety requirements.
The hearing officer will consider the proposal at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at City Hall.
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