It's Official: Crystal Springs Submits Application For Middle School

Crystal Springs Uplands School (CSUS) has taken the first step in the development process to build a new private middle school in Belmont.

On Friday, school administrators resubmitted an application to the City of Belmont to build a roughly 60,000-square-foot campus on Davis Drive---the same site that the prestigious Hillsborough K-12 school had its sights set on last year. 

Click here to read the letter CSUS submitted to the City of Belmont detailing information on the proposed project

Last fall, CSUS purchased 6, 8 and 10 Davis Drive for $11 million from Cengage Learning, the bankrupt owner of the vacant buildings.

In a 2012 description of the project, school officials said the proposed campus will replace 84,000 square feet of unused office and warehouse space with four main buildings (59,000 sq. ft.) and all-weather, regulation athletic field. The campus will be home to up to 240 students and about 35 faculty members.

The application is virtually the same as the application submitted in 2013 according to Jill Grossman, a CSUS school trustee--including the financial terms: a $1 million payment to the city's general fund and $250,000 annual payment, which is in lieu of property taxes. 

"The only change to the original application is we are proposing an enclosed swimming pool this time," said Grossman.

The original pool was to be outdoors, which raised noise concerns from residents. Grossman explained that the pool would be constructed at a later date. 

Grossman added that CSUS would also be working closely with the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District throughout the process. 

Carlos de Melo, Community Development Director for the City of Belmont confirmed the city's receipt of the application and explained that, among other things, a new traffic study would be undertaken as part of the CSUS application process.

On Tuesday city council will consider a resolution to enter into a service agreement with an environmental consulting firm to review the application. 

"We need to be sure that the application is current and legally adequate," said de Melo. 

He added that the next step in the process will be determined by when the environmental study is complete. 

Click here to read the letter CSUS submitted to the City of Belmont detailing information on the proposed project