Schools
To Build, CSUS Must Still Adhere to Development Process
The purchase of the land on Davis Drive by Crystal Springs Uplands School is just step one in the process of potentially building a new middle school in Belmont.
The announcement Tuesday of the purchase of 6.5 acres of land on Davis Drive in Belmont by a Crystal Springs Uplands School has unleashed a flurry of public dialogue--both in favor and opposition of the school's probable intent to construct a middle school on the property.
But as Carlos de Melo, director of Community Development for the City of Belmont points out, the rules of this potential project haven't changed since the school's initial application process in 2012.
"Assuming they present the same plans for the school, which it appears they will, they will need the same entitlements that applied last year," said de Melo.
By entitlements, de Melo is referring to the checklist of requirements that must be approved by the city before the first shovel hits the ground. Those entitlements include:
- General plan amendment
- Rezoning of the property (from Executive Office and Warehouse to Institutional)
- A redevelopment agreement
- Environmental study
De Melo emphasized that the city, as a regulatory body, must follow the public process, before it can consider any entitlements.
"They need to re-apply, seek entitlements and go through the public process."
"We will help CSUS on the path forward, but until they've submitted their application, we can't plot the course," de Melo added.
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