Planning commission accepts Alverno Heights Academy annual review; sports‑court construction underway, few police noise calls

The Sierra Madre Planning Commission on May 15 accepted the annual review for Alverno Heights Academy’s master plan conditional use permit (CUP 21‑03), with staff and school representatives reporting compliance with permit conditions and ongoing construction of approved sports courts.

The annual review matters because the CUP requires the commission to track campus impacts on neighboring streets, noise and public safety and to confirm mitigation measures are being implemented.

Planning staff reported that the Alverno campus is 12 acres and that the council approved the master plan in 2023; the school’s permitted student capacity remains 400. Staff noted the extension of modular classrooms had been approved previously but the modulars were removed in September 2024. The school reported a neighborhood meeting on Feb. 27 attended by school administrators, board members, city staff and six local residents to discuss villa rentals, traffic, and campus improvements.

Alverno's representative summarized capital work on the approved sports courts. The school said it submitted a design review application, received building permits and went to bid; rough grading and retaining walls are substantially complete and the school expects final grading and surfacing in June and landscaping and finishing work in July–August. "Currently, the cost of construction's at $461,000," the school representative said, noting escalation from an initial estimate of about $323,000.

The Police Department provided service‑call data for March 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025. The chief reported 42 CAD events recorded related to the campus (including preplanned events and officer‑initiated details); of those 42, about six related to noise complaints tied to school events (including a movie detail, singing and amplified sound), and the remainder were logs, traffic details, trespass or suspicious activity entries and other routine contacts. The chief told the commission, "there's no significant trend or pattern where we could say there's any issue or concern... very few calls for service, and only 6 related to noise."

School officials said they have hosted neighborhood meetings, improved landscaping along Highland Avenue, and installed extended red curbing on Mitchell‑Linda and Highland that staff and the police said improved circulation and visibility. The school also noted a small number of isolated incidents — for example a refrigeration/trailer unit for a holiday event that arrived early and ran a generator before 7 a.m. — and said it will work with vendors to avoid repeating that timing.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to accept the annual master plan review; the motion carried unanimously.

Next steps: The commission will continue to receive annual reviews until the sports courts and related mitigation work are complete, per staff recommendation.