The Bodine Schoolexpansion in Germantown will continue as planned.
Germantown couple, Rand and Leslie Bouldin
, neighbors of the school, had their appeal denied by a unanimous vote by the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its Sept. 28 meeting. The appeal was intended to reverse the suburb’s planning commission approval of the final site plan and zoning classification for the proposed expansion of the school."We know that Bodine does a great service for the children who need their services," Rand Bouldin said during his presentation to the board. "Despite that fact, and even though they are educating children, this site isobviously not the proper location for a $10 million, 44,000 square-foot building."
The planning commission during
its Sept. 1 meeting approved both a conditional use permit, capping Bodine’s student enrollment at 140, and a revised final site plan for building additions totaling 25,980 square feet, according to staff reports.
Bodine School, 2432 Yester Oaks Drive, has plans to expand the existing 18,039-square-foot school on 5.38 acres on a plat of land currently zoned as residential. According to staff reports, a conditional use permit was required for a private school to be located in the residential zoning district with limits.
The Bouldins, in the appeal, said they believe Yester Oaks Drive does not meet that requirement.
Conditional use stipulations
According to staff reports, Section 23-228 mandates conditional use permits under Sec. 23-7 (b) must be located on a route designated as either a major or collector street on the official major road plan. When Bodine School was founded in 1972 and expanded in 1982, Yester Oaks Drive was physically constructed to collector street standards and planned for future connection south to Poplar Avenue.
However, in the 2024 major road plan update recommendations, Yester Oaks Drive was recommended for removal from collector status because recent analysis demonstrated no need for the anticipated Poplar Avenue connection.
Josh Whitehead, assistant attorney for the Germantown Planning Commission, told the board because Bodine predated annexation into Germantown that the school is what is considered a legal "non-conforming use." He said property outside the zoning can expand with a conditional-use permit as long as it does not adversely affect the neighborhood.
"The legal non-conforming uses not only can continue but also expand," Whitehead said. "However, if they are to expand, they are to expand by leaving a reasonable amount of space for such expansion and to avoid nuisances to adjoining property owners."
The Germantown board also upheld the planning commission ruling because it believes the planning commission followed the conditional use required findings that were outlined in Sec. 23-97 of the city's zoning ordinance. Those findings include the project will not have a substantial adverse effect on the neighborhood, including traffic conditions, parking and other matters affecting the public health, safety and general welfare of the surrounding residents.
"The expansion project will alleviate both drainage as well as traffic concerns that are ongoing," Germantown Alderman Sherrie Hicks said.
What will the Bodine School expansion include?
The proposed project will include an all-purpose space and four new classrooms, a library, a new playground area, student center with a gym and selected renovations to the existing building. The expansion would increase Bodine School's building total space to roughly 44,000 square feet.
The project would also increase school capacity by 40 students. Parking is proposed to increase from 33 parking spaces to 66 parking spaces. On-site vehicle stacking capacity at dismissal is proposed to increase from six vehicles to 43 vehicles.
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Bodine expansion on track after couple denied appeal by Germantown board
