The Woodside Priory School (Priory) is a private college preparatory school for grades six through twelve established in 1957, prior to the Town’s incorporation. The approximately 50-acre campus is designated for "institution" land uses in the General Plan and is within the Town’s Residential Estate (R-E) Zoning District. Private or parochial elementary or secondary schools are a conditional use in the R-E Zoning district.
Accordingly, Priory is governed by Conditional Use Permit (CUP) X7D-30 first approved in 1968 and last amended in 2016. The CUP governs maximum number of students, teachers, and support staff. It also governs the maximum floor area, impervious surfaces, and on-site parking space quantities for the campus. Important amendments to the CUP were approved in 2005 and 2016. An Overall Master Plan map of the campus, which was created in 2005 and last amended in 2016, visually implements the development standards as detailed in the CUP language. This map also identifies the location of structures, parking spaces, and on-site circulation paths of the campus.
Proposed Project and Requested CUP Amendments
In 2021 an amendment to the CUP was most recently approved by the Planning Commission and included:
- Change the way the student population is measured from “enrollment” to “average daily attendance”
- Increase in student population, based on average daily attendance (ADA), from 350 to 394 students
- Increase maximum lay faculty from 50 to 55 teachers
- Increase support staff from 40 to 45 persons
- Increase in on-site parking space quantity from 306 to 359 spaces
- Permanent installation of two modular buildings for classroom use; increase scholastic use category floor area maximums of CUP by 1,361 square feet
- Revision/Elimination of CUP requirements that reflect current conditions, have already been satisfied, or are no longer relevant
Approved CUP
Proposed Amendments
- The applicant, Priory, is requesting amendments to the CUP and Overall Master Plan map to allow for a new approximately 34,000 SF Athletic Center
- A new road from Gambetta Lane into the campus to be utilized for student pickup and drop-off
- Conversion of an existing campus road into mid campus pedestrian connection
- These physical site improvements also trigger a site development permit
- In addition to the physical improvements the proposed CUP Amendment also includes modifications to the language of the existing CUP as follows:
a. Condition #1 revise to update associated Parcel Numbers of the CUP to include all parcels (currently the CUP states only one parcel).
b. Condition #12 request to revise to require that only building permits for exterior construction require ASCC review and approval.
c. Condition #24: Update to reflect (1) changes since Resolution 2021-13 was adopted which implement the Existing CUP; (2) and changes proposed by this current CUP Amendment
d. Replace/revise approved Overall Master Plans consistent with the proposed CUP Amendment improvements
e. Updates on conditions related to floor area and parking based on the proposed scope of work. (Condition 4, 8 and 12).
f. Requests the removal of conditions:
i. Condition 8: Applicant stated reason for removal is that the condition has been satisfied.
ii. Condition 9: Applicant stated reason for removal is that the condition has been satisfied.
iii. Condition 14 (f): Applicant stated reason for removal is that the condition has been satisfied.
The most recent application materials submitted to the Town are provided in the links below.
Submitted plans and project information is under review by the Town for consistency with the Town’s Municipal Code, the Design Guidelines, the General Plan, and the approved governing CUP. A separate review is being conducted by all applicable departments including the Town Engineer, Town Geologist, Woodside fire Protection District, Conservation Committee and the Trails Committee. Once the application has been determined complete it will be scheduled for the first available ASCC Meeting.
Separate from this CUP Amendment application, the Woodside Priory is also working on separate applications for projects that do not require amendments to the governing CUP including an application for Middle School Courtyard (approved by the ASCC in June 2024), Chapel Addition Remodel and Chapel Administrative Office (under review by the Town), and an Additional Remodel to the existing Gambetta Gym Locker Rooms (forthcoming formal application).
