Charter School Gets Variances For Major Expansion

School Lane Charter School is one big step closer to a $5 million expansion that would allow it to meet burgeoning enrollment.

The township Zoning Board on Thursday approved three variances for School Lane to educate K-2 students in the former Cornwells Skating Rink next to its current facility on Bristol Pike.

School Lane CEO Karen Schade explained the K-8 school has 596 students and the expansion would allow for a total of 900 in both buildings which would be connected by an enclosed walkway.

“Over the last two years our waiting list has grown,” she said. “There were 400 on the list this year, with 200 for kindergarten, but only 50 openings.”

The 26,719-square-foot, single-story rink building would be renovated and house 14 classrooms, a cafeteria and a multi-purpose room.

The variances were needed to allow a school in a commercial zone; impervious land coverage to continue to exceed the allowable percentage but by 10 percent less; and for two parking spaces to encroach on a setback requirement.

While the approval prompted applause from the audience, two residents spoke against the plan with their primary concern being increased traffic.

Holly Fitzgerald-Visone said the project would put “five pounds of whatever in a three-pound bag.

Another nearby resident said, “Nine hundred kids? That's a little much. They already have 14 buses and they're going to add seven?”

Project engineer John Leapson said the plan would allow the buses and 55 cars to stack up on the property, keeping them off Bristol Pike and School Lane.

Board member Joanne Redding initially expressed concern about car traffic created by the influx of kindergarten-age children from Philadelphia who don't get busing.

“It seems we're cramming a lot in here,” she added.

But Schade said Bensalem children are always enrolled first and she expects all new kindergarteners to be from the township.

Eventually, Redding told one of the concerned residents that a school is a lot better alternative than many other uses allowed in a commercial zone.

“You've got an empty skating rink. A lot of bad things could go in there,” she said.

Board attorney Ray McHugh said allowable uses include five-story hotels, restaurants and retail centers. He added that if the building were to be used as is, without the renovations planned, there would be no requirement to improve buffering as would be done with the school plan.

The next step for the project is a land development agreement hearing before the Planning Board. Ron Gans, attorney for that board, previously said the traffic plan would be reviewed at that time.

Schade has said the school hopes to open the estimated-$5 million expansion in Aug. 2012 after about eight months of construction.

School Lane also is planning a K-12 school in the Neshaminy district and wants to build a 9-12 school in Bensalem. But it has reached an impasse with the Bensalem district on the latter plan and is asking county court for the approval. Schade said Thursday that there is nothing new to report on that court action.