Ripon Christian Schools are looking to expand.
Specifically, they want to build an 8,178-square-foot preschool complex in place of an existing home in the 800 block of West Main Street.
Approval of this plan also called for a rezone of the area and the adoption of the Negative Declaration for the General Plan Land Use amendment by the Ripon City Council.
A public hearing was held on this item at the Feb. 13 meeting.
Elected leaders approved the first reading of the plans, rezone and Negative Declaration.
“As part of the conditions of approval, a traffic impact analysis was required to ensure that development of the site as a preschool would not worsen traffic or levels of service on Main Street in the vicinity of the site,” Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart said.
The report did indicate a “very slight uptick in average delay times,” he said, pointing out to the Main Street and Maple Avenue intersection, which would be adjacent to the preschool project construction.
The preschool facility would be situated south of the RC main campus.
Plans also call for demolishing the existing home on the 1.294-acre parcel (the preschool would be built in the middle of that parcel).
The RC preschool would also have one commercial driveway off of Main Street and a proposed location of the commercial driveway entrance along the eastern property line.
“The school size could handle a larger number of students from the amount of 105 initially evaluated in the Traffic Impact Analysis (report),” said Zuidervaart, adding that RC would meet with the City if plans change such as exceeding the capacity of the preschool as initially evaluated.
Councilman Daniel de Graaf asked about that maximum capacity.
“At any given time, it could be 226 students, but the school has no desire at this time to exceed the 105 students capacity,” Zuidervaart said.

To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.