Item 18 - Appeal Application of Conditional Use Permit to Allow the Expansion of a Private School

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CUP No. 1982-18-MOD-1 – Forty Martyrs Armenian Church Middle School (5311 W. McFadden Avenue) October 27, 2025 Page 5 serve students in kindergarten through ninth grade. The CUP allowed the church and private school uses in the R1 zoning district and the variance allowed the reduction in parking. At the time of construction, the private school facility was designed to accommodate elementary students, serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. While CUP No. 1982- 18 allowed the private school use extending through ninth grade, the 17,500-square-foot building did not provide the necessary floor area or capacity to serve students above the sixth grade. Furthermore, the school’s operational program and curriculum were limited to elementary education, and no middle school grades were implemented under the existing CUP. Project Analysis Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requests are governed by Section 41-638 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code (SAMC), and modifications to existing CUPs require a new application under Section 41-649. A CUP may be granted if it can be demonstrated that the proposed project will not adversely impact the community or conflict with the General Plan. Additional analysis supporting these findings is provided in the sections below. The Forty Martyrs Armenian Church Middle School requests a modification to its existing CUP to expand its elementary program (pre-kindergarten through sixth grade) by adding seventh and eighth grades. While the original CUP No. 1982-18 approved educational use up to ninth grade, the existing 17,500-square-foot school building was designed for, and has historically served, only elementary grades. The new building is necessary to accommodate the middle school curriculum. The Project is not intended to substantially increase enrollment. The new facility is designed for a maximum of 32 additional students, with total enrollment expected to grow gradually from approximately 180 to 195 students, primarily by retaining students who would otherwise leave after sixth grade. This modest growth aligns with the existing campus’s capacity and is not anticipated to result in new significant impacts related to noise, traffic, or parking. The Project complies with applicable development standards, including building height and setbacks. Although the SAMC typically requires 110 parking spaces for the combined school and church uses, the site provides 88 spaces. This is permissible pursuant to AB 2097, which prohibits local government agencies from requiring parking minimums for qualifying sites within one-half mile of major transit stops. A parking demand analysis confirmed that the 88 on-site spaces adequately meet operational needs, and the site’s access configuration limits spillover parking into adjacent residential areas. Student Enrollment and Operations The expansion supports continuity for families by allowing students to remain at the school through eighth grade. The school’s staggered recess schedule, with breaks at 10:00–10:20 a.m., 12:00–12:45 p.m., and 12:45–1:30 p.m., will remain in place to limit the number of students outdoors at one time and minimize potential noise impacts.