Planning Commission recommends Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy expansion plan

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy’s proposed expansion plan was approved Tuesday by the La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission, which recommended three resolutions to the City Council after receiving assurances the school would not increase students, faculty or the number of campus events.

The unanimous 4-0 vote (Commissioner Arun Jain was not present at the meeting) marks a major accomplishment in a nearly six-year effort by FSHA officials to change the zoning for the St. Katherine Drive property from “institutional” to “FSHA-Specific Plan” and amend the city’s general plan to reflect the designation on its land-use map.

The first resolution asks the City Council to certify the environmental impact report for the project. The second resolution calls to approve the general plan amendment inside the incorporated boundary of the city, while a third resolution calls to approve the plan’s amendment outside the incorporated boundary.

If approved by council members, the specific plan would provide a framework for all future development and construction on the 42-acre campus, which straddles La Cañada’s border with Pasadena. Under the proposal, 24.66 acres on the southern end of the campus that lie within Pasadena’s city limits would potentially be annexed to the city of La Cañada Flintridge.

“I support the plan and its findings,” Commission Chair Rick Gunter said Tuesday. “I’m really pleased the administration of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy took this seriously and were very detailed in response to Planning Commission concerns so the city can make a durable document that addresses needs of the school for however many years.”

Gunter said it took a little longer than the commission wanted, but ended up “where we needed to be.”

“Who knows how long the annexation process is,” he added. “It was terribly important this plan is executed now. I’m also pleased we’re not changing enrollment caps, and in general, appreciative the document is easier to administer. It’s more clear and focused on the land uses.”

The existing campus is approximately 217,300 square feet with 29 classrooms. The school’s specific plan calls to expand to approximately 333,500 square feet and 33 classrooms.

Susan Koleda, deputy director of community development, said city planning staff made several corrections to goals and objectives to the specific plan amendment since the last commission meeting in September, making sure square footage would not increase under the previous plan in the school’s EIR. The only change was to a new two-story building on campus for the preferred design, which is near the student activity center and high school building.

“There are no biological issues,” she said, adding that the plan called for some tree removal and additional plantings.

Koleda said the student enrollment cap will remain fixed at 425 students.

In a public hearing, FSHA President Sister Carolyn McCormack called the master plan “a significant and important moment for our school.”

“Our history is long and deep” McCormack said. “[In] the end, we hope to … continue providing amazing Catholic education for the women of La Cañada Flintridge and beyond.”

Prior to the public hearing and vote, Commissioner Henry Oh restated concerns made at a Sept. 12 meeting, when the school’s plan was discussed in detail before being continued to allow for a few minor revisions.

“As a planning commission, we value education,” Oh said. “When we have a school on top of a hill, surrounded by brush and homes, served by a narrow winding roadway, with 125,000 square feet added, and a document assumes no new increase of faculty, students and events, I want to know the justification for the basis of [that] assumption.”

Matt Sanderson is a contributing writer to Times Community News.