September 30, 2011New STEM School to Begin with 9th/10th Grades
Admission will be by lottery
Final Action: SEPA appeal of the Determination of Nonsignificance for the STEM school
Hearing Examiner’s recommendations for conditional use permit for proposed STEM school
The District is seeking a conditional use permit approval from King County for the construction of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math secondary school. King County Code requires that a school district conduct a special review process for high schools. The purpose of the hearing is to “address the proposal’s compliance with the applicable development standards and whether the impacts of traffic on the neighborhood have been addressed…”
The district appointed a hearing examiner, as allowed under the code, and held a hearing on April 5, 2011, at Alcott Elementary School. Following a presentation by the District’s project team, approximately 15 citizens provided public comment. The “Report of Community Public Hearing and Recommended Findings of Compliance with King County Development Standards” is available here.
The hearing examiner recommends in the report that the school district’s Board of Directors adopt the findings, including two specific recommendations, and proceed with the applications for King County approval of a conditional use permit, building permit and all associated permits for development of the proposed STEM school. The Board is scheduled to take action on this report at its regular meeting on June 6, 2011.
Recommended findings, conclusions and decision on appeals of Determination of Environmental Nonsignificance for STEM school
The district is seeking a conditional use permit from King County to construct a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math secondary school. As the lead agency under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), the district reviewed the environmental impacts of the project and issued a “determination of nonsignificance” (DNS). Two parties appealed the ruling. A hearing was held on April 5, continued to April 13 and parties were able to provide additional evidence and responses through April 22.
The presiding officer issued a report entitled “Recommended Findings, Conclusions and Decision on Appeals of Determination of Nonsignificance.” The report recommends that the Board of Directors adopt a decision denying the appeals, subject to specific conditions, which included re-analyzing the parking needs for staff, students and visitors. That analysis has been completed. The Board is scheduled to take action on this report at its regular meeting on June 6, 2011.
STEM School Hearing PowerPoint – April 5, 2011School district representatives presented this PowerPoint at the Conditional Use Permit hearing on April 5, 2011.