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Planning Commission: December 9, 1998 St. Nicholas School: Conditional Use Permit Page 4 or auditorium use, not by classroom square footage. Staff observations during several visits to the site during the daytime support this analysis, as the parking lots have generally been near empty during school hours. Staff is concerned, however, that large events at the school be limited to assure that parking does not impact neighboring residents by using Voorhees Drive, Clausen Court, or constricting the El Monte Ave. intersections. The current use permit contains a condition requiring that: "No parking shall be allowed on any surrounding neighborhood street or on the driveway entrance to the property." (condition #2). Another condition (#1) limits evening events to a total of 12 per calendar year. To further assure proper traffic control for such events, staff has suggested (in Attachment 1) that the conditions (proposed condition #5) be modified to include, for any event with attendance in excess of 250 people, that traffic and parking control be provided and, if necessary,that shuttle service be provided to and from off-site parking locations. Traffic Regarding traffic, the City Engineer has indicated that the current St. Nicholas/Voorhees Drive intersection with El Monte is problematic, due primarily to fast moving traffic exiting Hwy. 280 at the northbound off-ramp. Representatives of the school have previously approached the Town about their traffic safety concerns, and the Town has responded by adding new directional signs and traffic markings and by enlarging the signal lights at the intersection. As the project is not expected to increase school enrollment or total trips to the school, however, staff has not required any additional traffic studies-or mitigation measures related to the intersection. Staff believes it would be appropriate to notify the school of the need for future analysis of the intersection and has suggested a condition (proposed condition #6 on Attachment 1) that, if enrollment is increased in the future, traffic studies must be submitted analyzing and proposing improvements, if feasible,to ensure the safe operation of the intersection. Drainage Drainage from the addition and the associated parking area is proposed to be conveyed to the drainage ditch parallel to Voorhees Drive, and then to the existing storm drain system along El Monte Ave. The Engineering Department has not required any drainage improvements as the total amount of development area on the site is being decreased. Most of the area of the addition is to be located over existing paved areas. Additionally, current condition#8 (proposed condition#10) of the conditional use permit requires that the school maintain drainage from the parking lot on a regular basis, to the satisfaction of the Engineering Department. Grading No grading is proposed for the additions or parking, as all of the new construction will be in the vicinity of existing pavement Trees and Landscaping The project proposes removal of three small trees in the vicinity of the existing building, but would replace those with four trees in the proposed courtyard and also proposed two new trees at the edge of the driveway above Voorhees Drive.