P&Z Endorses St Rose School

Expansion Project

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have endorsed a proposal from St Rose Church to expand and modernize St Rose School at 40 Church Hill Road in the borough.

The P&Z made that endorsement to the Borough Zoning Commission at a September 6 P&Z meeting. The borough zoners will be reviewing the St Rose School expansion proposal at upcoming sessions. The church is seeking a special exception to the borough zoning regulations for the project.

The P&Z endorsed the school project in its capacity as the borough’s planning agency.

Attorney James Strub of Waterbury, representing St Rose Church at the September 6 session, told P&Z members that the school has no plans to increase its student enrollment in conjunction with the expansion project.

Engineer Tim Onderko of New Haven, representing the church, said that the project would include the removal of the old, approximately 8,000-square-foot, St Patrick’s Hall from the site. New space would be built to replace the hall, he said.

Construction would include a new building holding more than 14,000 square feet of enclosed space. An area at the front of St Rose School would be redesigned to provide better facilities for school buses to drop off and pick up students.

An existing soccer field on the site would be repositioned.

Construction work would include landscaping improvements, as well as the installation of upgraded natural gas and public water facilities.

To make better use of the site for parking, the church would reorganize parking on the property, increasing the vehicle spaces from 275 to approximately 325 spaces.

New outdoor lighting on the site would meet the Dark Sky standards intended to limit light pollution and glare.

The project would include creation of an additional classroom/meeting room, new offices for school officials, a faculty room and an instructional science facility. Also planned are a gathering hall with kitchen facilities, a gymnasium, stage, a multimedia center including church and school libraries, computer facilities, storage space, and restrooms. An atrium is also proposed.

The new construction at the school campus would visually complement the existing school architecture through the use of similar building materials. Large windows would provide natural light, as well as views of the parish grounds.