GARDEN GROVE : School to Relocate to Residential Site

The City Council has approved a request by the Padre Pio Academy to relocate to a single-family home in a residential neighborhood. The school, which provides a traditional Catholic education, will be allowed to have a maximum of 60 pupils, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The City Council agreed with earlier findings by the Planning Commission that traffic would be minimized because the school plans to use a van pool. In addition, the school will install a 7-foot-high block wall to mitigate noise problems at the site, which is slightly less than an acre.

Opponents had argued that the site, at 11442 Dale St., is too small for a school and also that commuters to the school would increase traffic on already busy streets in the neighborhood.

Only Councilman Robert F. Dinsen voted against the school, saying the playground would be too close to other residences. Dinsen also said the site is undersized. An acre is the minimum size for a private school without a variance.

The school, named after religious figure Father Francesco Forgione Pio da Pietrelcina, currently is on the campus of Edgar School in the Garden Grove Unified School District. It has lost its lease for next year.

School leaders said they plan to modify the residence to provide classrooms and other facilities.