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5 <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE PLANNING BOARD: None <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS <br />Reverend Earl Echols, Jr., with the Ebenezer Baptist Church, spoke in support of this Text <br />Amendment.. He commented that their current facility is too small to accommodate the size of their <br />congregation. He mentioned the number of children that they are currently serving and that it is important <br />to them to increase the size of their Church. They currently have 75-100 children in their congregation <br />each Sunday and they need to provide a facility that is conducive to worship. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis, to refer this <br />item to the Planning Board for a recommendation to be returned to the Board of Commissioners no <br />sooner than May 6, 1998. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />This item was chaired by Chair Margaret Brown. She asked everyone who wished to speak to <br />come forward and be sworn in by the Deputy Clerk. <br />4. CLASS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PD-1-98 Carolina Friends School <br />The following citizens and staff were sworn in by the Deputy Clerk so that they could <br />speak to this item: Orange County Planner Emily Cameron, John Baird, Principal, Carolina Friends <br />School and Ellen Wentz. This item was presented by Planner Emily Cameron for the purpose of receiving <br />citizen comment on a proposed modification to the Special Use Permit for Carolina Friends School to <br />accommodate a ten-year master plan for expansion of the existing private school approved as a planned <br />development in 1990 and modified in 1992, 1996, and 1997. Carolina Friends school is an existing <br />private school located on the west side of Friends School Road (SR 1719). The property contains 38.62 <br />acres and is zoned PD-RB, Planned Development - Rural Buffer. In August of 1990 a Class A Special <br />Use Permit was issued for Carolina Friends School to allow the use of the school's wastewater disposal <br />system in the Rural Buffer. A planned development is also required where there are multiple principal <br />structures on a non-residential lot greater than two acres in size. This Special Use Permit was modified <br />in 1992 and 1996. In 1997 the School swapped land with Duke University to acquire acreage between <br />the existing school and Friends School Road. The current request is to accommodate a ten-year master <br />plan to expand the school into the acreage acquired in 1997. Student enrollment is proposed to increase <br />by five for a total of 422 students. The staff will increase by one for a total of 62 staff members. The <br />proposal includes a new entrance to the school site south of the existing entrance on Friends School <br />Road. The new entrance will have better sight distance than the existing entrance. The existing entrance <br />will continue to access a portion of the campus, but will not connect to the proposed system of driveways. <br />Five new buildings are proposed (37,750 sq. ft): a multi-purpose center (gymnasium), a meeting house, <br />a new Early School building, an athletic field house, and a covered service area. Several additions to <br />existing structures are proposed totaling 14,700 square feet. The expansion also involves a baseball <br />field, two soccer fields, and an outdoor amphitheater. <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: <br />Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on why the space is being increased but the student <br />population is only being increased by 5 students. <br />John Baird, Principal, Carolina Friends School, replied that the long-term vision for the school <br />calls for an increase in facilities but not for a significant increase in enrollment. The current size of the <br />school in terms of enrollment is aligned with their vision of the size of the school. A letter from John <br />Baird, dated February 19, 1998, was distributed and is incorporated herein by reference. A copy of this <br />letter is in the permanent agenda file in the clerk's office. <br />In response to a question from Commissioner Crowther, Mr. Baird indicated that the land swap <br />with Duke University had a positive impact on the school. If the Special Use Permit is approved, they will <br />begin this project with the new soccer field. The current field will be returned to forest land by Duke <br />University.