Commission approves Goddard School addition site plan with conditions on parking and play area

Farragut’s Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan for a 2,800‑square‑foot addition to the Goddard School on Loudon Road, contingent on resolving two key items: a written parking agreement covering a two‑space shortfall with the adjacent property owner, and compliance with the town’s fenced outdoor play‑area requirement or an approved zoning text amendment.

Staff told commissioners the addition would allow roughly 26 additional children and four more employees, but would create a two‑space parking shortage on the shared parcel that includes a dentist’s office. Staff said the commission may allow a reduction in required parking if the applicant demonstrates available, shared parking and obtains a written acknowledgment from the dentist or other property owner. Commissioners confirmed such written agreement is needed before full site-plan approval is effective.

Staff also flagged the town’s zoning ordinance language requiring 100 square feet per child for fenced outdoor play areas, which—on the plans submitted—would produce an outsize requirement (staff estimated a theoretical 15,800 square feet if calculated against the full licensed capacity). The applicant and staff noted the state licensing approach measures 50 square feet per child on the playground at a given time; staff recommended the applicant consider a text amendment to align town language with state practice or demonstrate compliance by adjusting building size or program operations.

An applicant representative said operators are coordinating with the dentist and shopping center to produce the required paperwork shortly and understood the play‑area concern; staff proposed conditioning approval on filing a written parking agreement and on satisfying the play‑area requirement by text amendment or other remedy. The commission amended the motion to make those items explicit and then voted unanimously to approve the site plan subject to staff conditions and the clarified language.

The approval allows the applicant to continue the permitting process but construction cannot commence until the specified conditions are met and documented with staff.