25.3.G.4 Expansion of Certain Public and Semipublic Facilities

a.  Existing railroad facilities, public and governmental uses, public and private educational facilities, and colleges and universities may continue to be operated and maintained in any residential, mixed-use, business, commercial, medical, life science, industrial or open space districts and may be expanded provided such expansion is within the existing boundaries; and

1. Meets the applicable district regulations; or
2. Where variances are necessary, such expansion is authorized by the Board of Zoning Adjustments. 

No new such facility may be established except when allowed by the district or when approved as a conditional use.

b.  Temporary use of off-site facilities for an existing educational facility, primary (including pre-kindergarten and kindergarten), educational facility, secondary shall be allowed in the districts described in Paragraph a above subject to the following:

i.  The temporary use shall be allowed for a period not to exceed two (2) years. An extension of the two (2) year limit may be granted upon request to or by the City Council. A City Council motion duly adopted shall effectuate the extension.

ii.  New off-site structures used temporarily must meet the following setback requirements: not less than fifty (50) feet where the side yard or rear yard line abuts a residential district and not less than twenty-five (25) feet from all lot lines abutting streets, canals, or open public spaces.

iii.  The student enrollment of the temporary facility shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the student enrollment of the existing school facility. The enrollment of the temporary facility may be increased upon a request to and approval of the Director of the Department of Safety and Permits in the event of an emergency. Said emergency may constitute a fire, natural disaster, hazardous condition, or any other unforeseen occurrence requiring prompt action.

c.  Expansion of an existing school site shall be permitted as a matter of right subject to all the following:

i.  The existing school site prior to the expansion is nonconforming in terms of the minimum site size requirement for a school and said expansion of the school site reduces the degree of nonconformity.

ii.  There shall be no structures on the expansion site.

iii.  The expansion site remains open space or recreational area.

iv.  Renovation or reuse for a public school purpose of an existing school facility that has not been approved previously through the conditional use procedure shall be allowed outright, notwithstanding any nonconforming status or period of vacancy, provided that the type of school is not changed to a higher grade grouping school. Any expansion of the site beyond its limits at the time of closure or prior use, other than expansion permitted under item iii above, or change in use to a higher grade grouping, shall require a conditional use permit.

v.  Rebuilding of an existing public school facility that has not been approved through the conditional use process shall be allowed irrespective of any nonconforming status or period of vacancy provided that:

(1)  No increase in floor area occurs greater than fifty percent (50%) of the floor area of the structure prior to rebuilding.

(2)  The type of school is not changed to a higher grade grouping school.

Any expansion of the site beyond its limits at the time of closure or prior use, other than expansion permitted under item iii above, or change in the above stated conditions, shall require a conditional use permit.

d.  A Campus Development Plan shall be submitted in conjunction with any new building construction as authorized by items a - c above, subject to the standards in Article 20, Section 20.3.Z of the CZO.

 

Ord. No. 27,371, §3, April 28, 2017, Zoning Docket 125/16