Vallejo Municipal Code Ch. 16.335 Schools

These provisions ensure that schools are located close to where students live and to provide safe environments for students, faculty, and other school employees. They apply to all facilities for primary or secondary education including public, charter, private and parochial schools.

A. Use Permit Required. A minor or major use permit shall be required pursuant to Chapter 16.606, Minor and Major Use Permits, as follows:

1. A minor use permit is required to construct an addition that would increase the floor area of an existing school building, or as applicable.

2. A major use permit is required for:

a. Construction of new school;

b. Establishment of a school in all or part of an existing building that was not designed for or occupied by a K-12 school.

3. To grant the use permit, the director or the planning commission shall determine, based on the information presented by the applicant and the standards of this chapter:

a. That the school location is appropriate for the use, and that adjacent uses will not be adversely affected;

b. That adequate access, student drop-off areas and required off-street parking is provided; and

c. That outdoor play areas are appropriately-sized, furnished with facilities and equipment, safe, and secure.

B. Site Plan Required. The applicant shall provide a site plan with the use permit application that includes all of the following information:

1. The proposed enrollment and student capacity of the school;

2. The size and location of all indoor and outdoor areas for physical education;

3. The pedestrian and traffic circulation systems proposed for the site, include student drop-off areas, in addition to queuing areas for pick up;

4. The proposed parking, both on-site and off-site; and

5. A development phasing schedule, if the school will be developed in phases.

C. Locational Standards.

1. If the proposed site is within one thousand five hundred feet of a railroad track easement, a safety study shall be submitted with the use permit application, prepared by a professional trained in assessing the frequency, speed, and schedule of railroad traffic and pedestrian and vehicle safeguards at railroad crossings. In addition to the analysis, reasonable and feasible mitigation measures to address existing or potential safety issues shall be identified, which shall be incorporated into conditions of approval, as appropriate.

2. If the proposed site is within one thousand five hundred feet of an above-ground fuel storage tank or high-pressure oil or gas pipeline, or within two thousand feet of a hazardous waste disposal site, a hazards risk assessment shall be submitted with the use permit application, and recommendations of that assessment shall be incorporated into conditions of approval, as appropriate.

3. The director may waive submission of the studies required above if a safety or hazards risk assessment has been previously prepared for the site and submitted to the city or another permitting agency, and the applicant agrees to the recommendations and mitigation measures of such an assessment.

D. Site Standards

1. The site shall be easily accessible from arterial or collector streets and shall allow minimum peripheral visibility from planned driveways and drop-off areas.

2. Parent drop-off areas, queuing areas for pick up, bus loading areas if provided, and on-site parking shall be separated from walkways to allow students to enter and exit the school grounds safely.

3. Adequate outdoor or indoor play areas shall be provided to meet the needs for the planned enrollment. The minimum standard is fifty square feet of active play area per student. The director or the planning commission, may reduce this requirement upon finding that:

a. Public parks are with one-quarter mile of the school and a joint-use agreement with the city has been executed, or

b. The scheduling of physical education (e.g., staggered recess times) permits more efficient use of on-site facilities.

c. All outdoor play facilities that border a street or parking area shall be enclosed by a minimum six-foot high fence or wall.

4. Delivery and service areas shall be located to provide vehicular access that does not jeopardize the safety of students and staff. Delivery/utility vehicles shall have direct access from the street to the delivery area without crossing over playground or field areas or interfering with bus or parent loading unless a fence or other barrier protects students from large vehicle traffic on playgrounds.

E. Accessory Uses. Accessory uses customarily found in conjunction with schools, including dormitories, gymnasiums, stadiums, performing arts facilities, and auditoriums, are permitted provided that such accessory uses are located on the same lot or a contiguous lot adjoining the school.

F. Design Standards.

1. The design of structures shall incorporate setbacks, recesses, projections, upper-story setbacks, and similar architectural measures to help diminish visible building bulk as seen from adjoining public streets.

2. Larger structures with high levels of activities and parking areas shall be sited to minimize noise and other impacts on surrounding residential development and shall be landscaped to meet the applicable requirements of Chapter 16.504, Landscaping.

3. School campuses, excluding outdoor recreational areas, shall be subject to the minimum lighting standards applicable to multi-family development in the districts where they are located. Entries shall be lighted to ensure the safety of persons and the security of buildings. Outdoor lighting that is not required for security shall be turned off when a building or outdoor recreational area is not in use.