HomeMy WebLinkAboutLSP_MOD_Project NarrativeTHRULINE PARTNERS DESIGN TO BUILD
February 26,2024
LSP -Little Spanish Preschool
130 Flanders Mill Road,Bozeman MT 59718
PROJECT NARRATIVE for the MOD APPLICATION for SP PERMIT #23-167
The Little Spanish Preschool (LSP)is located at 130 Flanders Mill Road in Bozeman,Montana.
The modification to our project will be to convert the approximately 4,000 SF two story single
family home built in 2003 into a single commercial day care center operating on both levels of
the building,rather than the main level residence with a group home daycare and a lower level
commercial day care center as initially proposed.The building will have a single occupancy
classification of Group E for the day care center operation.
As a commercial Group E occupancy the project will comply with the MT State MCA and ARM
regulations for daycare centers,the 2021 International Building Code (IBC),the ICC
A117.1-2017 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities and City of Bozeman
BMC regulations.The State definition of a day care center is an out-of-home place in which day
care is provided to 16 or more children on a regular or irregular basis.No fire or occupancy
separation between the main level and lower level will be needed as the building will have one
use classification and one fire area.The Architectural drawings are updated to show this change
of use and that we meet the egress,fire code,and ADA requirements for the E Occupancy.
We are submitting a MOD application based on a less than 20%increase over our Site Plan
Application in the intensity of use.The overall square footage of the project is not changing and
therefore isn’t a trigger for a change in the intensity of use.The occupancy numbers increase by
9 people or 16%,from 58 (50 total children with 8 staff)in our previous application,to 67 (59
children with 8 staff),which is lower than the 20%increase threshold.
Our occupancy numbers will be determined by the MT State Child Care Center requirements for
35 SF/each child per MT ARM 37.95.610 and the child-to-staff ratios per MT ARM 37.95.623.
The Classrooms will be designated by age group and staff will be assigned to each group based
on child-to-staff ratios.See Table 1 below.
The daycare hours of operation will remain the same as presented in the Site Plan Application,
with Monday-Friday from 8am-4 pm hours and an hour between 8-9am allowed for drop off and
an hour between 3-4pm allowed for pick up.The child care center also has half-day,6 hours,7
hours,and 8 hours of care options,so drop off and pick up times will be distributed throughout
the day.This,as well as the already completed improvements to Flanders Mill Road will
minimize the traffic impacts to the surrounding neighborhood.The Traffic Study Waiver Request
previously completed by Juliene Sinclair,PE with Alpine Surveying and Engineering can still be
applied to our proposed modified project,as there is no increase in staff and only a 9 student
increase.
THRULINE PARTNERS ||212 S.WALLACE AVE.STE.301 BOZEMAN MT 59715 ||(406)414-7744
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THRULINE PARTNERS DESIGN TO BUILD
MT ARM OCCUPANCY
CALCULATIONS
NUMBER OF
STAFF
NUMBER OF
CHILDREN
AGE OF
CHILDREN
SQUARE FOOTAGE
OF CARE SPACES
Main Level Daycare
Classroom 101
1 5 1 yrs 193
Main Level Daycare
Classroom 102 and 103
1 4 0 -12 mo 261
Main Level Daycare
Classroom 104
2 17 3 yrs 601
Main Level subtotal 4 25 —-1,055
Lower Level Daycare
Classroom 001 +Break
Out Space 011
2 17 4-5 yrs 620
Lower Level Daycare
Classroom 002
2 16 2 yrs 580
Lower Level subtotal 4 33 —-1,200
TOTALS 8 59 N/A 2,255 SF
Table 1:Occupancy numbers per MT ARM 37.95.610 and MT ARM 37.95.623
An updated Civil site plan and parking assessment were completed by Juliene Sinclair,PE with
Alpine Surveying and Engineering.11.9 onsite parking spaces are needed with the change in
use,but with a 1.19 space bike parking reduction and 1.19 space landscaping reduction we can
reduce the required parking to 9.Seven of the spaces will be provided by the on-site parking lot
with the remaining two provided in the garage for general staff parking.See Table 2 and our
Cover Sheet,Civil Site Plan and Architectural Site Plan drawings.
DESIGNATION #OF SPACES LOCATION
DAYCARE (1 PER 15)3.9 ON-SITE PARKING PER PLAN
STAFF 8 ON-SITE PARKING PER PLAN &GARAGE PARKING
TOTAL 11.9
PARKING REDUCTIONS:-1.19 BIKE PARKING IN LIEU OF PARKING
-1.19 LANDSCAPING IN LIEU OF PARKING
TOTAL 9.52 BMC 38.540.050 -REMOVAL OF FRACTIONAL SPACES
TOTAL REQUIRED 9
Table 2:MOD application parking assessment
THRULINE PARTNERS ||212 S.WALLACE AVE.STE.301 BOZEMAN MT 59715 ||(406)414-7744
thrulinepartners.com
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THRULINE PARTNERS DESIGN TO BUILD
An earlier phase of the Project annexed the property into City limits and was completed July
2022 and recorded under Resolution 5425.The annexation established a R-3 zoning
designation commercial day care centers are allowable by right in this zoning.The terms of the
annexation stated that the residence must be connected to City water and sewer utilities
constructed in accordance with City approved design and specifications.These required sewer
and water utility connections were completed in January 2024 under a previously expired
stand-alone plumbing permit #22-00033460 to allow the day care to meet County Health
Department requirements and remain operational.The well and septic systems previously
servicing the residence were also abandoned in January 2024,with the well remaining
functional for irrigation purposes only.The Sewer,Water,and Stormwater Report completed by
Juliene Sinclair,PE with Alpine Surveying and Engineering describing the planned sewer,water,
and stormwater design was implemented and the Civil drawings are updated to reflect the
as-built condition of the completed connections.
The only change to the landscaping plan triggered by our change in use is that the Main Level
entry as well as the Lower Level entry will be required to have Landscape Block Frontage.
Further research also revealed that the median to the north of the Little Spanish Preschool is
owned by the Flanders Mill HOA and it is therefore our project is not responsible for landscape
improvements at that location.The existing gravel ground cover will remain.To fulfill the parking
lot tree requirements one tree that was planned for the median to the north of the property will
be planted on the property at the north side of the parking lot.The Landscape drawings have
been updated to show these changes.
Lastly,the City’s Parkland Dedication Requirement still does not apply to this Project as it is an
annexation of a single parcel where the development of the parcel does not increase the
residential density,but in fact decreases it.
The proposed change in use that triggered this MOD application will help the Project provide
even more much needed child care to our community with no change to the previous building
plan and little impact to the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
THRULINE PARTNERS ||212 S.WALLACE AVE.STE.301 BOZEMAN MT 59715 ||(406)414-7744
thrulinepartners.com
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