The Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved Nov. 13 a site-plan review request from Grand Rapids Christian Schools to expand preschool programming at the Evergreen campus (1630 Griggs/1875 Rosewood) and to add an internal one-way campus drive, a second preschool entrance, and expanded parking.

Superintendent Aaron Winkle (speaker 19) told commissioners the change is part of a multi-campus master plan to realign grades and add preschool capacity across the district. Todd Palmer of MDG Architects (speaker 20) and civil engineer Jeff Vanlar (speaker 7) said the proposal keeps work within the existing building footprint, modernizes classrooms for early-childhood learning, adds entry canopies, and increases on-site parking from about 106 to 153 spaces (including 18 temporary spaces on the new campus drive). The team said the campus drive and added parking should reduce queuing and on-street congestion on Rosewood during peak drop-off and pick-up times.

Neighbors raised concerns in the public hearing about increased vehicle traffic and concentrated vehicle emissions near play areas, heat-island effects from approximately 50,000 square feet of new impervious surfaces cited by commenters, and the loss of bus routes when Head Start moves. Commenters asked the commission to reduce impervious area and adopt a less car-centric approach. The applicant said two detention basins will be installed to meet city stormwater requirements, natural landscaping will be used where practical, and gates on the campus drive will be closed once morning drop-off finishes (roughly 8:45–9:00 a.m.) and reopened at the end of the school day.

Commissioners asked technical questions about drive widths (emergency-access and fire-marshal requirements), angled versus parallel parking, and whether gates should be required to remain closed when the school is not operating. Staff recommended, and the commission adopted, conditions to require a permanent screened dumpster enclosure, that internal drive widths be the minimum required by the fire marshal and traffic safety review (drive aisles reduced to 22 feet where appropriate), lighting to comply with full-cutoff fixtures and a 50% reduction of parking/driveline lighting within 30 minutes after close of business, and a landscape buffer along Sylvan Avenue to mitigate headlight impacts. The resolution also requires stormwater devices be sized per city standards.

A motion to approve the site-plan changes (moved by Commissioner speaker 10) passed by voice vote; staff and applicant will finalize permit documents and technical plan-review details prior to building permits.