SIMI VALLEY : School’s Revised Plan to Go Before Panel

After a four-hour grilling during their last appearance before the Planning Commission, officials of a private school seeking to expand have revised their plans and are set to attend another hearing before the commission Wednesday.

Phoenix Ranch School officials want to expand their facilities near the intersection of Los Angeles Avenue and Oak Road, adding three modular buildings and a pool. The extra space would allow enrollment to increase from 169 to 287 students over the next few years.

In August, the first hearing on the proposal ended when commissioners, concerned about possible noise and traffic problems, recommended changes in the project’s design and sent it back to the city’s planning staff for further study. About 100 area residents, both for and against the project, attended the hearing.

Phoenix officials responded by rearranging the project. The proposed new kindergarten building has been moved farther away from the homes south of the school. A driveway encircling a parking lot off Shunk Road has been added to prevent cars from backing out onto Shunk.

“We’ve completely turned the plan upside down,” said school owner and administrator Frances Alascano. “We really addressed ourselves to the concerns at hand.”

The city’s planning staff is recommending that the commission approve the revised project.