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Agenda Item
14. Introduction and first reading of an ordinance amending Washoe County Code Chapter 110 (Development Code), Article 220 (Tahoe Area), Section 110.220.275 (Wood Creek Regulatory Zone) to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone; and all matters necessarily connected therewith and pertaining thereto.
If supported, set the public hearing for second reading and possible adoption of the Ordinance for February 20, 2024. Community Services. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
I am for allowing these churches to provide schools kindergarten through secondary faith-based education to the children of our community.
Faith-based school’s are imperative to our Incline Village community as they provide a school of choice. We would be forced to commute long distances to provide our children foundational faith education schooling. There are great benefits to school choice for an overall community with increased competition. Our son has grown tremendously in the 2.5 years since attending these schools as their method of teaching and understanding are critical to the choices we cherish so much in our family.
These wonderful schools are not disruptive to our community. Having these schools located where they are build community growth and further bonding, enhancing the quality of life for our children and locals.
Please keep these educational schools in their churches, providing our children and other children in our community the opportunity to attend these faith-based schools in Incline Village.
I am writing to express my support of the proposed code amendment to allow schools in the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone on parcels over 3 acres. I believe that it is important for communities to allow for all kinds of educational opportunities and especially to allow for the free exercise of religion guaranteed by our Constitution. This code change would allow both these benefits. Both the Presbyterian and Roman Catholic traditions prize education of children and both have long histories of establishing schools for this purpose. The current code puts up an unnecessary obstacle to the exercise of our faith. I ask you to support changing this code and urge you to vote in favor of the proposed amendment.
As a member of this community, I am absolutely in favor of allowing schools Kindergarten through Secondary in the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone. This zone has had churches for decades providing invaluable religious service. Allowing these churches to provide faith-based education (would be the only ones available in the area) is critical in providing the community with faith-based education options. Co-locating these schools with the churches is the best option for the environment and is the only real option as setting up schools in other areas of the community would be cost prohibitive. The positive impacts by far outweigh any possible negative impacts. Please approve this proposal.
I am a resident in the Tahoe Wood-Creek Regulatory Zone. I support school choice as well as faith based education, however our neighborhood is not zoned to house schools. I just have to mention that we have an excellent public education school system in town! The developers of Incline Village had well laid out plans as to where schools would be located and sold properties based on their zoning and plans. The schools in Incline Village are all located in a central area of town that are easily serviced by the NLTFPD and WCSD simultaneously in case of an emergency. The town is currently working on a wildfire evacuation plan as we speak.
The St Francis of Assisi Church and Village Church have hired a professional land use planning firm, DOWL, to push this re-zoning of 5 (not 2) parcels in our residential neighborhood. They are a well oiled machine that have organized a letter writing and "public comment" campaign with opinions that don't reflect the feelings of the Washoe County Tax Payers that LIVE in The Tahoe Wood-Creek Regulatory Zone. Call me crazy but I believe that DOWL is also retained by Washoe County to represent them on various numbers of land use "projects". Right from the start DOWL invited the required property owners of the neighborhood to a "neighborhood meeting" and filed the paperwork for the proposed zoning change within days. The "comment cards" that were passed out at the end of the "NEIGHBORHOOD" meeting were never explained. DOWL said don't worry all of your live comments are being recorded (taped) to review later. Somehow the data collected from the "Neighbors" comment cards (at least 90% of them) included comments from MANY Parents of current students, Founders, Students and Teachers of the proposed schools WHO DO NOT LIVE in the neighborhood. Shockingly in favor of THEIR school! Please listen to the recording of the first neighborhood meeting from June 2nd 2023 to get an accurate depiction of the overwhelming opposition to the re-zoning. There is also a petition signed by over 50 residents of Wood-Creek that says they are "Strongly Opposed" to the re-zoning.
DOWL does a very good job of making it look like this is supported but in reality it is NOT!
Please Vote No!
Scott Comstock
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
We have two children enrolled in St. Clare’s. St. Clare’s has been such a blessing to our family. Our children love going to school everyday while living and learning their faith. St. Clare’s is providing a fantastic, spiritually based education that can only benefit the community.
Please consider approving this amendment so the school can continue to do good work and provide a much needed service to the community.
As a homeowner and parent living in Incline Village, my family and I wholeheartedly agree Incline Village needs the St. Claire's School at St. Francis to provide faith-based education to the community's children. Incline Village offers no other faith-based K-8 or K-12 schools, forcing residents to travel over 25 to 40 miles to receive a faith-based education. St. Clare's Montessori provides a premier education to fill our community's fundamental faith-based educational needs.
I support amending Washoe County Code Chapter 110 (Development Code), Article 220 (Tahoe Area), Section 110.220.275 (Wood Creek Regulatory Zone) to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone; and all matters necessarily connected therewith and pertaining thereto.
St Clare’s school has been an amazing addition to our community. As a resident with 2 young daughters I ask you to approve this amendment. The school has provided my kids with the ability to critically think and be enthusiastic about learning. School choice is vital and much need it in Incline specially with the huge waiting lists that other schools have.
Thank you
We are parents of 3 students enrolled at Saint Clare's Montessori School and we are very grateful to have this school within reasonable driving distance to our home in Incline Village. Were it not for its presence in Incline, we would be commuting to Tahoe City or Reno for alternative school choices - choices that we have always elected for our family.
It is such a blessing to have the school co-located at St. Francis church and connected to a faith community that supports the school. The religious freedom and opportunity to educate our children in a faith based environment is important to us. While not parishioners of St. Francis, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to pursue faith alongside a Montessori education.
Saint Clare's also serves a wide variety of students from different socio-economic backgrounds, providing scholarships and choosing to accept all who choose this alternate academic path. It is an option meant for anyone in need of a different learning model and the benefit of this added choice serves the entire community of Incline Village.
We have a child with learning challenges who is thriving under the Montessori model provided at Saint Clare's, and this would not otherwise be available in Incline Village. This is a gift to our family as we know local public school resources to support children with learning needs are limited and in high demand. By having a separate school option to serve our child, our child is able to effectively prepare for eventual matriculation to a mainstream learning environment at high school level or beyond.
These are just a few of the reasons why we support adding schools, kinder-secondary, to the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone. Rezoning is a valid endeavor meant to consider a whole community. Rezoning is meant to consider best ways to maximize use, and in this case, churches that benefit from non-profit status should be used to their full daily potential whenever possible. The generosity of the St. Francis Parish in pursuing support and space for faith based education is a great service to the Incline community.
We strongly support having private or church-based schools in our neighborhoods. They are not disruptive and only enhance the quality of life for our children. We urge you to support the measure.
Chris and Carla Peterson, 571 Jackpine Lane, Incline Village, NV 89450.
St. Clare’s is a small Catholic Montessori School founded and run by parishioners of St. Francis Catholic Church as a ministry of the church, seeking to be allowed to permanently operate in our spiritual home to provide a religious education to the children in our community. Access to the sacraments of holy communion and confession as well as the opportunity to participate in adoration of the blessed sacrament are essential components of Catholic education that take place within our Catholic church.
St. Francis has been in its current location for over 50 years. For decades, the church has been functioning as a community use building, with far more activities involving much higher traffic and numbers of children than St. Clare’s adds to the location.
Regular church activities include: Mass 4 times per weekend, weddings and funerals held on weekdays and weekends, weekly religious education classes that include over 100 students. Additionally the church regularly hosts community events drawing large numbers including concerts, public talks, day-retreats, etc. The church has a capacity of roughly 300 people and can be safely used for its permitted volume. Including cars safely entering and exiting the church parking lot from Mt. Rose Hwy.
The various uses over the past 50 years, listed above, have barely raised any notice from neighbors and those events have regularly brought in much, much more traffic than our small school does which is home to 45 students.
To the Washoe County, Board of County Commissioners,
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
I am a resident of Incline and currently have 4 kids enrolled in St Clare’s. I had my kids enrolled in the local public school last year and decided to look for other options for their next school year. I am so very thankful to have found St Clare’s and after having all 4 of my kids there I am convinced it was the right choice for our family.
St Clare’s offers my family an education that serves my children’s unique and varying learning styles. If it wasn’t an option for our family we wouldn’t utilize the current public school and would be forced to find education elsewhere.
St Clare’s offers the community a unique and much needed school choice opportunity.
Our family fully supports the purposed zoning choice!!!
Crystal McCaughey
School choice is essential, and St. Clare’s provides an option that Incline needs. Our future lies in our children, and St. Clare's is an essential part of their development to become strong, confident, independent, critical-thinking, good-hearted, community-facing members and leaders of our society. Let's continue to build these values by allowing St. Clare's to continue their pursuit of creating a more robust educational foundation for our children and providing another choice in how they learn.
I am Shawn Comstock,homeowner for 30yrs behind the Catholic church. Over the past two years since the school has opened I have made multiple calls to the church and School about INCREASED NOISE DISTURBANCES ! This is now effecting our property rights a detriment to the quiet enjoyment of our property. Normally over 30yrs Church operates on Sundays. Now M-F and on weekends.There are more frequent bear break ins with in Woodcreek area do to increased garbage at the church. The Dumpsters rarely locked! Neighbors on Kelly Drive have sent a letter to the lst public meeting regarding increased crime on their street, since school opened. Kelly Drive is now being used for over flow parking during outdoor activities M-F for School business. Traffic concerns, MT ROSE HWY is our main FIRE ESCAPE ROUTE! There have been multiple documented deaths at the runaway truck ramp across from McCourry Blvd and Kelly Drive, within a very short distance of both these schools. A truck ramp accident occurred as recently as this summer, thankfully while school was not in session. The churches hold services on Sundays during a time that large semi trucks don't travel as often, (see traffic studies). M-F SEMI TRUCK travel, along MT Rose Hwy is very busy and dangerous. Allowing TWO K-12th grade schools within a block of each other in our neighborhood is wrong! The traffic to drop off and pick up students interferes with our main Fire Escape Route out of town in the event of an evacuation!
The St Clare's School is currently operating under it's 4th TRPA 6 month TEMPORARY use permit to have up to 45 students! Sadly we have seen many of our concerns come to fruition! Imagine the impact of 120 students at each of 2 schools in YOUR neighborhood! They are proposed to hold preschool through High School aged students, within one block of each other! The Wood-Creek neighborhood residents have signed a petition, with more than 50 signatures, that states they "are strongly OPPOSED" to the proposed zoning changes which was submitted at the 11/9 WCBC meeting in Reno. These signatures are from homeowners who will be negatively be affected by any zoning changes that would allow 2 schools in their RESIDENTIAL neighborhood!
Please vote NO,
Shawn Comstock
Approving and supporting this Private School will continue to "honor" the Nevada and U.S. tradition of "freedom of choice, free speech" and most importantly provide attractive alternatives and competition to our "next to last in the nation" public schools in Nevada! Competition, creativity, and freedom is what helped to make America and Nevada GREAT! Let's continue forward in the path of progress! "Yes" to Education and Freedom!
My husband and I have owned property on the North Shore since 1969, and have been parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi's Catholic Community. I worked in Incline Village at Nevada Pacific Consulting for a decade. I have also served at Seat One the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council for 15 years - in this capacity, I have made recommendations for approval or disapproval on zoning changes, proposed developments, area plan changes, special use permits and the likes. I support this Development Code Amendments as schools, in particular St. Clare's Montessori School, are necessary to maintain a vibrant community and educational options for our young families in the North Shore.
To the Washoe County, Board of County Commissioners, respectfully:
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
I support this proposed amendment for two reasons:
1. K-12 public education in Nevada consistently ranks 49th or 50th in the nation; and throwing more and more money at the problem has not changed this situation. Only more competition will, because giving parents an alternative to the dysfunctional public education system is the only way to truly incentivize the public schools here to improve. Our children deserve an education that will prepare them to succeed in life.
2. I believe that success in life has a crucially important spiritual dimension; and the proposed amendment would make possible future applications for two Christian schools. Such applications would, of course, would be evaluated in a separate process, the special use permit process, but they cannot even be submitted unless and until the proposed amendment is adopted.
Please approve the proposed Development Code Amendment to the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone!
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Patricia J. Moser Morris
330 Ski Way Unit 11
Incline Village NV 89451
Dear Members of the Board and all Washoe County Commissioners,
My name is Andrea Riggio and I am a resident of Incline Village.
I am also a mom of a three year old, who attends to St Clare's Montessori School since the beginning of this school year.
Even though we are new members of the school (and we are also new in town) we knew we wanted to enroll him in St Clare's even months before moving to Incline Village.
As parents, we really appreciate the Montessori education, since our son was a baby. So for us it means a lot to be able to find a school that applies Maria Montessori's methods on the everyday life.
On the other hand, when we were doing our research, we were very pleased to find that St Clare's was also a Catholic school. Finding a school that can be related to our faith and also with the kind of education we like, has been a huge blessing for our family.
We live in Incline Village, and my husband also works in Incline Village, so we need a school that is located here too. So again, St Clare's is the best option for us in terms of its location, being very close to our home. And being the only Catholic school in the area.
Our son is only three years old, and there aren't many options in terms of school or other educational/child-care activities for his age group. For that reason, the few options we could find on Incline Village had a waiting list. We were very lucky to get a last minute open seat in St Clare's and we couldn't be happier about it.
It is important to consider that St Clare's offer is also the best for young children, as they start at age three, with the option of full-time or part-time, from Monday to Friday. And there are no other options like this for working parents in this town.
St Clare's School has been a great new part of our lives. Not only has it been amazing for our son, who really enjoys his days in the Chipmunks' Classroom. But also for us parents... We have been able to meet other families through the school and the church, and it has really helped us feel part of the Incline community. We just cannot think of a better choice for our family. We hope we can see the school grow and develop, and that more families get to experience it as we do.
I am a resident of Incline Village and a member of The Village Church. I am in favor of providing alternative education in our growing community. Two years ago, several non profit thrift store managers met to discuss how we can best help our working families in our community. The number one problem was that they don't have daycare/preschool available to them. Our Village Church preschool that has been operating for over 20 years has been full to capacity with a wait list of over 80 children. The young population of our community is growing and the need is immediate. These young families are looking for an alternative elementary education. Our community need is strong and our church has the capacity to fill this need because it is empty during the week. Please consider a yes vote for our children.
I am a parishioner of St. Francis Catholic Church and a parent at St. Clare's Montessori school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the meeting on the 23rd in person because I stay at home with my baby, but I am sending this letter to express my support for the school's location at St. Francis Church.
My husband and I send four of our five daughters to St. Clare's. The school has been an incredible blessing in our lives, providing the faithful Catholic education that we desire for our children. Having the school located at our parish, St. Francis, is hugely important to us. It provides our family with a true spiritual home and a community of joyful, faithful families that we know, love and trust. Our kids are able to frequently participate in the sacraments--something that is very important to us as Catholics.
We have been full-time residents of Incline Village for almost seven years and we love living here. We are grateful that we are able to call this beautiful town our home, and that we can educate our children in the way we see fit--according to our religious beliefs--right here in Incline. Unfortunately, if it were not for St. Clare's School being here, we would probably move in order to have access to a Catholic education. We pray that the school can stay in its location so it can continue to benefit our family and so many other young, growing families here in North Lake Tahoe.
I am a 30 year resident of Incline Village and a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. My wife and I raised two boys that attended the public schools in Incline Village. While I am a proponent of the public school system, I do believe parents have the right to educate their children as they see fit. The options for raising children in the Christian faith are very limited in Lake Tahoe, so I support approving this amendment.
Dear Washoe County Board of Commissioners,
I am for allowing these churches to provide schools kindergarten through secondary faith-based education to the children of our community.
Faith-based school’s are imperative to our Incline Village community as they provide a school of choice. We would be forced to commute long distances to provide our children foundational faith education schooling. There are great benefits to school choice for an overall community with increased competition. Our son has grown tremendously in the 2.5 years since attending these schools as their method of teaching and understanding are critical to the choices we cherish so much in our family.
These wonderful schools are not disruptive to our community. Having these schools located where they are build community growth and further bonding, enhancing the quality of life for our children and locals.
Please keep these educational schools in their churches, providing our children and other children in our community the opportunity to attend these faith-based schools in Incline Village.
Warmly,
Stacy Phillips
I am writing to express my support of the proposed code amendment to allow schools in the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone on parcels over 3 acres. I believe that it is important for communities to allow for all kinds of educational opportunities and especially to allow for the free exercise of religion guaranteed by our Constitution. This code change would allow both these benefits. Both the Presbyterian and Roman Catholic traditions prize education of children and both have long histories of establishing schools for this purpose. The current code puts up an unnecessary obstacle to the exercise of our faith. I ask you to support changing this code and urge you to vote in favor of the proposed amendment.
As a member of this community, I am absolutely in favor of allowing schools Kindergarten through Secondary in the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone. This zone has had churches for decades providing invaluable religious service. Allowing these churches to provide faith-based education (would be the only ones available in the area) is critical in providing the community with faith-based education options. Co-locating these schools with the churches is the best option for the environment and is the only real option as setting up schools in other areas of the community would be cost prohibitive. The positive impacts by far outweigh any possible negative impacts. Please approve this proposal.
I am a resident in the Tahoe Wood-Creek Regulatory Zone. I support school choice as well as faith based education, however our neighborhood is not zoned to house schools. I just have to mention that we have an excellent public education school system in town! The developers of Incline Village had well laid out plans as to where schools would be located and sold properties based on their zoning and plans. The schools in Incline Village are all located in a central area of town that are easily serviced by the NLTFPD and WCSD simultaneously in case of an emergency. The town is currently working on a wildfire evacuation plan as we speak.
The St Francis of Assisi Church and Village Church have hired a professional land use planning firm, DOWL, to push this re-zoning of 5 (not 2) parcels in our residential neighborhood. They are a well oiled machine that have organized a letter writing and "public comment" campaign with opinions that don't reflect the feelings of the Washoe County Tax Payers that LIVE in The Tahoe Wood-Creek Regulatory Zone. Call me crazy but I believe that DOWL is also retained by Washoe County to represent them on various numbers of land use "projects". Right from the start DOWL invited the required property owners of the neighborhood to a "neighborhood meeting" and filed the paperwork for the proposed zoning change within days. The "comment cards" that were passed out at the end of the "NEIGHBORHOOD" meeting were never explained. DOWL said don't worry all of your live comments are being recorded (taped) to review later. Somehow the data collected from the "Neighbors" comment cards (at least 90% of them) included comments from MANY Parents of current students, Founders, Students and Teachers of the proposed schools WHO DO NOT LIVE in the neighborhood. Shockingly in favor of THEIR school! Please listen to the recording of the first neighborhood meeting from June 2nd 2023 to get an accurate depiction of the overwhelming opposition to the re-zoning. There is also a petition signed by over 50 residents of Wood-Creek that says they are "Strongly Opposed" to the re-zoning.
DOWL does a very good job of making it look like this is supported but in reality it is NOT!
Please Vote No!
Scott Comstock
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
We have two children enrolled in St. Clare’s. St. Clare’s has been such a blessing to our family. Our children love going to school everyday while living and learning their faith. St. Clare’s is providing a fantastic, spiritually based education that can only benefit the community.
Please consider approving this amendment so the school can continue to do good work and provide a much needed service to the community.
As a homeowner and parent living in Incline Village, my family and I wholeheartedly agree Incline Village needs the St. Claire's School at St. Francis to provide faith-based education to the community's children. Incline Village offers no other faith-based K-8 or K-12 schools, forcing residents to travel over 25 to 40 miles to receive a faith-based education. St. Clare's Montessori provides a premier education to fill our community's fundamental faith-based educational needs.
I support amending Washoe County Code Chapter 110 (Development Code), Article 220 (Tahoe Area), Section 110.220.275 (Wood Creek Regulatory Zone) to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone; and all matters necessarily connected therewith and pertaining thereto.
St Clare’s school has been an amazing addition to our community. As a resident with 2 young daughters I ask you to approve this amendment. The school has provided my kids with the ability to critically think and be enthusiastic about learning. School choice is vital and much need it in Incline specially with the huge waiting lists that other schools have.
Thank you
To the Washoe County Board of Commissioners,
We are parents of 3 students enrolled at Saint Clare's Montessori School and we are very grateful to have this school within reasonable driving distance to our home in Incline Village. Were it not for its presence in Incline, we would be commuting to Tahoe City or Reno for alternative school choices - choices that we have always elected for our family.
It is such a blessing to have the school co-located at St. Francis church and connected to a faith community that supports the school. The religious freedom and opportunity to educate our children in a faith based environment is important to us. While not parishioners of St. Francis, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to pursue faith alongside a Montessori education.
Saint Clare's also serves a wide variety of students from different socio-economic backgrounds, providing scholarships and choosing to accept all who choose this alternate academic path. It is an option meant for anyone in need of a different learning model and the benefit of this added choice serves the entire community of Incline Village.
We have a child with learning challenges who is thriving under the Montessori model provided at Saint Clare's, and this would not otherwise be available in Incline Village. This is a gift to our family as we know local public school resources to support children with learning needs are limited and in high demand. By having a separate school option to serve our child, our child is able to effectively prepare for eventual matriculation to a mainstream learning environment at high school level or beyond.
These are just a few of the reasons why we support adding schools, kinder-secondary, to the Wood Creek Regulatory Zone. Rezoning is a valid endeavor meant to consider a whole community. Rezoning is meant to consider best ways to maximize use, and in this case, churches that benefit from non-profit status should be used to their full daily potential whenever possible. The generosity of the St. Francis Parish in pursuing support and space for faith based education is a great service to the Incline community.
Thank you for supporting this amendment.
Sincerely,
Athena Brockman
We strongly support having private or church-based schools in our neighborhoods. They are not disruptive and only enhance the quality of life for our children. We urge you to support the measure.
Chris and Carla Peterson, 571 Jackpine Lane, Incline Village, NV 89450.
St. Clare’s is a small Catholic Montessori School founded and run by parishioners of St. Francis Catholic Church as a ministry of the church, seeking to be allowed to permanently operate in our spiritual home to provide a religious education to the children in our community. Access to the sacraments of holy communion and confession as well as the opportunity to participate in adoration of the blessed sacrament are essential components of Catholic education that take place within our Catholic church.
St. Francis has been in its current location for over 50 years. For decades, the church has been functioning as a community use building, with far more activities involving much higher traffic and numbers of children than St. Clare’s adds to the location.
Regular church activities include: Mass 4 times per weekend, weddings and funerals held on weekdays and weekends, weekly religious education classes that include over 100 students. Additionally the church regularly hosts community events drawing large numbers including concerts, public talks, day-retreats, etc. The church has a capacity of roughly 300 people and can be safely used for its permitted volume. Including cars safely entering and exiting the church parking lot from Mt. Rose Hwy.
The various uses over the past 50 years, listed above, have barely raised any notice from neighbors and those events have regularly brought in much, much more traffic than our small school does which is home to 45 students.
Thank you for your consideration.
Paige Roodhouse
To the Washoe County, Board of County Commissioners,
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
I am a resident of Incline and currently have 4 kids enrolled in St Clare’s. I had my kids enrolled in the local public school last year and decided to look for other options for their next school year. I am so very thankful to have found St Clare’s and after having all 4 of my kids there I am convinced it was the right choice for our family.
St Clare’s offers my family an education that serves my children’s unique and varying learning styles. If it wasn’t an option for our family we wouldn’t utilize the current public school and would be forced to find education elsewhere.
St Clare’s offers the community a unique and much needed school choice opportunity.
Our family fully supports the purposed zoning choice!!!
Crystal McCaughey
School choice is essential, and St. Clare’s provides an option that Incline needs. Our future lies in our children, and St. Clare's is an essential part of their development to become strong, confident, independent, critical-thinking, good-hearted, community-facing members and leaders of our society. Let's continue to build these values by allowing St. Clare's to continue their pursuit of creating a more robust educational foundation for our children and providing another choice in how they learn.
I am Shawn Comstock,homeowner for 30yrs behind the Catholic church. Over the past two years since the school has opened I have made multiple calls to the church and School about INCREASED NOISE DISTURBANCES ! This is now effecting our property rights a detriment to the quiet enjoyment of our property. Normally over 30yrs Church operates on Sundays. Now M-F and on weekends.There are more frequent bear break ins with in Woodcreek area do to increased garbage at the church. The Dumpsters rarely locked! Neighbors on Kelly Drive have sent a letter to the lst public meeting regarding increased crime on their street, since school opened. Kelly Drive is now being used for over flow parking during outdoor activities M-F for School business. Traffic concerns, MT ROSE HWY is our main FIRE ESCAPE ROUTE! There have been multiple documented deaths at the runaway truck ramp across from McCourry Blvd and Kelly Drive, within a very short distance of both these schools. A truck ramp accident occurred as recently as this summer, thankfully while school was not in session. The churches hold services on Sundays during a time that large semi trucks don't travel as often, (see traffic studies). M-F SEMI TRUCK travel, along MT Rose Hwy is very busy and dangerous. Allowing TWO K-12th grade schools within a block of each other in our neighborhood is wrong! The traffic to drop off and pick up students interferes with our main Fire Escape Route out of town in the event of an evacuation!
The St Clare's School is currently operating under it's 4th TRPA 6 month TEMPORARY use permit to have up to 45 students! Sadly we have seen many of our concerns come to fruition! Imagine the impact of 120 students at each of 2 schools in YOUR neighborhood! They are proposed to hold preschool through High School aged students, within one block of each other! The Wood-Creek neighborhood residents have signed a petition, with more than 50 signatures, that states they "are strongly OPPOSED" to the proposed zoning changes which was submitted at the 11/9 WCBC meeting in Reno. These signatures are from homeowners who will be negatively be affected by any zoning changes that would allow 2 schools in their RESIDENTIAL neighborhood!
Please vote NO,
Shawn Comstock
Approving and supporting this Private School will continue to "honor" the Nevada and U.S. tradition of "freedom of choice, free speech" and most importantly provide attractive alternatives and competition to our "next to last in the nation" public schools in Nevada! Competition, creativity, and freedom is what helped to make America and Nevada GREAT! Let's continue forward in the path of progress! "Yes" to Education and Freedom!
My husband and I have owned property on the North Shore since 1969, and have been parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi's Catholic Community. I worked in Incline Village at Nevada Pacific Consulting for a decade. I have also served at Seat One the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council for 15 years - in this capacity, I have made recommendations for approval or disapproval on zoning changes, proposed developments, area plan changes, special use permits and the likes. I support this Development Code Amendments as schools, in particular St. Clare's Montessori School, are necessary to maintain a vibrant community and educational options for our young families in the North Shore.
To the Washoe County, Board of County Commissioners, respectfully:
I urge you to APPROVE the proposed amendment to the Development Code to add "Schools - Kindergarten through Secondary" use type as a permitted use, subject to a special use permit, on those parcels in size equal to, or greater than, three-acres within the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone.
I support this proposed amendment for two reasons:
1. K-12 public education in Nevada consistently ranks 49th or 50th in the nation; and throwing more and more money at the problem has not changed this situation. Only more competition will, because giving parents an alternative to the dysfunctional public education system is the only way to truly incentivize the public schools here to improve. Our children deserve an education that will prepare them to succeed in life.
2. I believe that success in life has a crucially important spiritual dimension; and the proposed amendment would make possible future applications for two Christian schools. Such applications would, of course, would be evaluated in a separate process, the special use permit process, but they cannot even be submitted unless and until the proposed amendment is adopted.
Please approve the proposed Development Code Amendment to the Tahoe - Wood Creek Regulatory Zone!
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Patricia J. Moser Morris
330 Ski Way Unit 11
Incline Village NV 89451
Dear Members of the Board and all Washoe County Commissioners,
My name is Andrea Riggio and I am a resident of Incline Village.
I am also a mom of a three year old, who attends to St Clare's Montessori School since the beginning of this school year.
Even though we are new members of the school (and we are also new in town) we knew we wanted to enroll him in St Clare's even months before moving to Incline Village.
As parents, we really appreciate the Montessori education, since our son was a baby. So for us it means a lot to be able to find a school that applies Maria Montessori's methods on the everyday life.
On the other hand, when we were doing our research, we were very pleased to find that St Clare's was also a Catholic school. Finding a school that can be related to our faith and also with the kind of education we like, has been a huge blessing for our family.
We live in Incline Village, and my husband also works in Incline Village, so we need a school that is located here too. So again, St Clare's is the best option for us in terms of its location, being very close to our home. And being the only Catholic school in the area.
Our son is only three years old, and there aren't many options in terms of school or other educational/child-care activities for his age group. For that reason, the few options we could find on Incline Village had a waiting list. We were very lucky to get a last minute open seat in St Clare's and we couldn't be happier about it.
It is important to consider that St Clare's offer is also the best for young children, as they start at age three, with the option of full-time or part-time, from Monday to Friday. And there are no other options like this for working parents in this town.
St Clare's School has been a great new part of our lives. Not only has it been amazing for our son, who really enjoys his days in the Chipmunks' Classroom. But also for us parents... We have been able to meet other families through the school and the church, and it has really helped us feel part of the Incline community. We just cannot think of a better choice for our family. We hope we can see the school grow and develop, and that more families get to experience it as we do.
Thank you,
Andrea Riggio
I am a resident of Incline Village and a member of The Village Church. I am in favor of providing alternative education in our growing community. Two years ago, several non profit thrift store managers met to discuss how we can best help our working families in our community. The number one problem was that they don't have daycare/preschool available to them. Our Village Church preschool that has been operating for over 20 years has been full to capacity with a wait list of over 80 children. The young population of our community is growing and the need is immediate. These young families are looking for an alternative elementary education. Our community need is strong and our church has the capacity to fill this need because it is empty during the week. Please consider a yes vote for our children.
Hello,
I am a parishioner of St. Francis Catholic Church and a parent at St. Clare's Montessori school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the meeting on the 23rd in person because I stay at home with my baby, but I am sending this letter to express my support for the school's location at St. Francis Church.
My husband and I send four of our five daughters to St. Clare's. The school has been an incredible blessing in our lives, providing the faithful Catholic education that we desire for our children. Having the school located at our parish, St. Francis, is hugely important to us. It provides our family with a true spiritual home and a community of joyful, faithful families that we know, love and trust. Our kids are able to frequently participate in the sacraments--something that is very important to us as Catholics.
We have been full-time residents of Incline Village for almost seven years and we love living here. We are grateful that we are able to call this beautiful town our home, and that we can educate our children in the way we see fit--according to our religious beliefs--right here in Incline. Unfortunately, if it were not for St. Clare's School being here, we would probably move in order to have access to a Catholic education. We pray that the school can stay in its location so it can continue to benefit our family and so many other young, growing families here in North Lake Tahoe.
Thank you for considering my comments!
Kate Schweiss
I am a 30 year resident of Incline Village and a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. My wife and I raised two boys that attended the public schools in Incline Village. While I am a proponent of the public school system, I do believe parents have the right to educate their children as they see fit. The options for raising children in the Christian faith are very limited in Lake Tahoe, so I support approving this amendment.