Ammon Planning & Zoning recommends against building new charter school on city street
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AMMON – A charter school’s request for a conditional use permit in Ammon could be denied after a negative recommendation from the city’s planning and zoning officials.
After nearly two and a half hours of public testimony at a planning and zoning meeting Wednesday night, the city’s eight-member commission was unanimous in its decision to recommend denial of Gem Prep Charter School’s request to build a 45,000-square-foot building at 3445 Greenwillow Lane.
Though the proposal met the comprehensive plan requirements, board members determined it wasn’t a good fit for the community for various reasons. The main concerns revolved around the high volume of traffic on Greenwillow Lane and Ammon Road. Several planning and zoning board members noted there are already a large number of schools in that area and that adding another one would exacerbate ongoing traffic issues at that intersection and surrounding neighborhoods.
One board member suggested a traffic study be done, regardless of whether the request is approved or denied.
The decision is not binding, but is only a recommended course of action to the city council. The council will make a final determination during its next meeting on Feb. 15.
About 40 people attended the hearing in person, and numerous others attended virtually. Gem Prep’s CEO Jason Bransford attended remotely and provided information about the school. Project engineer Dennis Cole was there in person to present the plan and what the school and campus would look like.
The public had a chance to weigh in on the project. Three people spoke in favor of it, including its board chairman Dennis Turner.
His comments were focused on responding to traffic concerns associated with the school’s construction.
“We only have one entrance into the Pocatello school and we’re very good at working with parents and getting kids in and out of the subdivision. We’re very cautious about traffic … and I think people will be very pleased with the outcome and the organization,” Turner said.
The majority of those in attendance expressed opposition primarily because of the traffic issues.
“I’m pro education and schools. What I’m against is poor planning,” one man said. “When you drive in the evening when school’s getting out, traffic is backed up for miles. That is not acceptable. We just keep allowing development but we don’t ever fix the infrastructure.”
He went on to explain there are no lights or crosswalks when kids cross the street, which he said poses a safety risk. Traffic flow is negatively impacted by a lack of consistency from street to street, he said.
“If you look just one intersection down, there’s a four-way stop and there are roundabouts (at other intersections). There’s no consistency. Getting in and out of our neighborhood is very problematic. There’s no natural break, no light that stops people so (oncoming drivers) can get in and out.”
Another woman talked about the challenges of turning left onto Ammon Road from Greenwillow Lane after school. The natural flow of traffic is headed south (right), which means making a left turn onto Ammon Road causes problems, she said.
But even if traffic were only allowed to turn right at that intersection, she said the amount of traffic would cause people pulling out of the school’s parking lot to go in the opposite direction and create additional traffic congestion throughout the neighborhood.
Many others said traffic congestion in other parts of the neighborhood is already a problem because people take shortcuts through the subdivision to avoid the line of cars on Ammon Road.
While some expressed a need for additional lights or signage, others said people don’t pay any attention and questioned their effectiveness.
“I walk my kids to school every day and just this year alone, I’ve almost been hit three times,” one mother said. “People are not paying attention and I’m really concerned … something is going to happen to me, my kids or somebody crossing the street to get the mail.”
Noting the proximity of three other schools near Greenwillow Lane, one man asked why it’s necessary to dominate one area with a whole bunch of schools and suggested it would be safer and better to put it elsewhere.
In response to public comments, Cole said they are willing to work with the city to mitigate any traffic concerns.
The Planning and Zoning commission made their recommendation after deliberating for about 20 minutes.
Bransford tells EastIdahoNews.com they’ve already purchased the property on Greenwillow Lane and plan to do everything they can to make it work for the community.
“We recognize that people brought up traffic concerns and it’s never our intent to make a problem worse,” Bransford says. “Whatever the solution is, we want to be good neighbors and help the community be a better place.”