Despite opposition from residents, Hundred Hills School gets go-ahead to establish temporary location next to library
For the second time within a month, opponents and proponents of the proposed expressed their views on the potential Hundred Hills School (HHS), a Waldorf-inspired private school, to be temporarily placed on three parcels on the city-owned Willemsen property, this time to the Buellton City Council in its five-hour meeting Thursday, July 24, meeting.
After hearing the arguments, both pro and con, for the school founded by husband-and-wife Sundeep Chanana and Whitney Stevenson, the council voted 3-1 to approve the Conditional Use Permit allows the private educational facility to be established on four parcels next to the Buellton Library on Dairyland Road. The decision overturned the 2-2 vote at the Buellton Planning Commission meeting on July 3, which was technically a denial of the CUP.
After that decision, the council unanimously agreed to approve a license agreement for HHS to operate on the property for up to five years, with a fair-market value compensation of $1,750 per month, to give the school time to find a permanent location in Buellton.
Buellton Planning Director Andrea Kiefer started off the presentation by describing the school that would come to the neighborhood: It would be a Waldorf-inspired school serving preschool through the fourth grade. The campus, on the topmost portion of the Willemsen Property at 202, 208, 212, and 218 Dairyland Road, would consist of four classrooms, one administration building, and one restroom, all of the California Roundhouse building style, more commonly know as “yurts.”
The school’s founders spoke on their proposed school, with Montgomery starting off calling HHS a project “small in size, but enormous in possibility.”
Alluding to the opposition that been stated against the school and the founders, Stevenson told her story as someone who was raised in Buellton and went to numerous local schools, and said that heirs of the Wilhelmsen family that used to own the land approve of the plans.
“My husband and I were lucky to be exposed to an approach to education that deeply resonates with us,” Stevenson said. “Now we’re in a place where we can help bring it home to share it with the place that raised me. I just ask that we pause and consider what tonight means to this town.”
After that, Stevenson’s husband Sundeep Chanana spoke about the project, and listed a number of reasons why he felt the project would benefit Buellton: It would keep the land away from developers who wish to build high-density projects, it would allow the city to collect rent and fees for the property, it would give local families another school option, and it would help the “preschool crisis” for a town that has just one preschool.
“I can’t think of a single reason to vote anti-school,” Chanana said.
During a long public comment session, that saw 55 people speak on the project, many found reasons against the project, with pretty much all indicating that while they didn’t have problems with the school per se, they did not like it being proposed for the parcels on Dairyland Road next to the library.
As in the Planning Commission meeting, most of the objections came from residents of the surrounding neighborhood who believed there would be a negative impact with traffic and noise because of the school. Others did not like the idea of city-owned land being used for a private school. Others were concerned that some of the trees would be removed (although Chanana stated earlier that would not be the case), and residents would lose the use of the green area on the site.
An informal count of the 55 people who spoke found 34 that opposed the project.
Some of those who spoke in favor of HHS noted the lack of options for students in early education, most notably preschool, while others praised other Waldorf schools and said it would be a great experience for Buellton children. Some said they had to drive their kids to a Waldorf school in Santa Barbara and would appreciate being able to go to the same kind of school in Buellton.
When the item came back to council, Councilmember Hudson Hornick agreed with arguments on both sides, saying he felt the school would be a huge benefit, but also believed its proposed for the wrong site. However, he said he would support it, noting the site would be temporary and that he hoped “the open space would return.”
“It’s important we guide city in positive direction, and the Waldorf school is part of that,” he said. “The preschool is very important in this, we need more locations.”
Councilmember John Sanchez said he also supported the project, downplaying the complaints about traffic.
“I don’t see the additional trips as a deterrent; there will always be traffic,” he said. “It would be an honor to have a Waldorf school. I don’t see the problem.”
Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis said supported the school for the same reasons Hornick did, although she agreed the location was not a good one. She also thanked the public speakers for their decorum during comment.
Mayor David Silva said his decision on this is “the most torn I’ve ever felt,” and admitted that he was a bit detached on the subject because he doesn’t have kids.
“I sat through experience of people living next to site concerned about it,” he said. “I’ve struggled with it. Hard to make decision you aren’t impacted by, and you’re against. This is one subject where there hasn’t been neutrality, either you’re for it or against it.”
Lewis moved to approve the resolution overturning the Planning Commission decision and OK the Dairyland Road site for the school, with Hornick seconding, and the motion passed 3-1, with Silva dissenting.
The City Council will next meet on Thursday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m.
