PZ - Narrative Gem Innovation School Project Narrative
Gem Innovation School is seeking a Conditional Use Permit for a property located on the south side of
East Hazel Road, east of S. Locust Grove Road, in the City of Meridian.The subject parcel is zoned C-C.
The site will be utilized as an educational facility and will have 1,156 weekday, daily trips,which is below
the 1,500-trip threshold. The property consists of a single parcel which is located within the Brighton
Homes Development within land that has been recently annexed into the City of Meridian. Water and
Sewer service connection will be provided from the development of the adjacent Apex Southeast
Subdivision, which is currently in for approvals.
Gem Innovation School is an established charter school campus with an existing school site located at
2750 E. Gala Street in the City of Meridian and one under construction near the intersection of
McDermott and McMillan Street. Gem's goal is to open an additional campus to provide additional
educational opportunities to the residents of Meridian at a K-12 grade level.
About Gem Prep
Gem Prep is a college preparatory school. Every program, K-12, at Gem Prep is
designed and aligned to prepare students for success in college and beyond.The philosophical
premise is that students need a tailored and rigorous instructional environment to help them
develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies that will assist them in their success in college
and beyond.
Gem Prep's instructional methodology is to provide instructional access to content designed to
prepare students for the rigors of college-level instruction. Because the elementary grade levels
include foundational content, Gem Prep utilizes a personalized approach,which leverages
technology to adapt instruction to student needs,while simultaneously providing them with
real-time feedback and remediation. As students progress to secondary grade levels, the focus
of student competency development shifts toward independence, ownership of learning, and
exposure to new skills. Students engage in courses in person, online, and through video
teleconference to gain skills of professional communication and collaboration with colleagues
(other students and teachers) in remote geographic locations. Secondary students also
participate in college preparatory courses,which are dedicated to the development of
competencies such as mindsets, communication skills,and habits of success.
Summary of Applications
The Gem Innovation School project proposes a 45,110 SF 2-story building including a hard top and
recreational play fields on an existing 6.116-acre parcel.The applicant is requesting the following
approvals:
0 Conditional Use Permit to accommodate an educational facility.
A pre-application meeting was held with the City of Meridian Planning and Development staff on
December 10, 2020. A neighborhood virtual meeting was held on January 21, 2021.
Site Location and Parcel Information
PROPERTY INFORMATION
Parcel Address Current Zone Proposed Zone Parcel Description
S1405223020 E LAKE HAZEL RD R-4 C-C PAR#3020 OF
MERIDIAN, ID NW2NW4 SEC 5
83642-0000 2N 1E#223000-13
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Conditional Use Permit
An education institution is a principal permitted use in the C-C zoning district but requires a CUP per the
specific use standards in UDC 11-4-3-14E.4 because access is taken from a collector street.
Summary
With the current growth in Meridian and proposed Apex Southeast Subdivision No. 1 surrounding the
project parcel, a local and accessible school for the neighborhood will create a compliment to the City's
community vision. We are respectfully asking for approval of this application for a Conditional Use
Permit.