Waldorf School Seeks Expanded Facilities

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is considering a request from a private school to allow it to expand its facilities for students in Dodgingtown Center, in view of a growing student population.

The Housatonic Valley Waldorf School is seeking a special exception to the zoning regulations to allow it to expand its facilities located on the southeast corner of  Dodgingtown Road and Jacklin Road.

The school wants P&Z permission to convert an existing two-story house at 51 Dodgingtown Road into school classroom space. The school also wants permission to raze an existing adjacent detached two-car garage on that property and replace it with a new classroom building.

The house and garage are located next door to the school’s existing classroom building for grade-school students. The school has other facilities for young children at 40 Dodgingtown Road, on the northeast corner of Dodgingtown Road and Taunton Hill Road.

The Waldorf  School has been in Dodgingtown since 2000 and currently has about 90 students. The school plans to eventually offer instruction for students up to Grade 8.

Architect John Madzula, representing the school, presented plans for the project to P&Z members at a July 21 public hearing.

“The use of this existing house (for classroom space) is essential for this coming school year,” Mr Madzula said. The house currently is used as a residence.

P&Z Chairman William O’Neil said he wants the Police Commission, acting as the town’s traffic authority, to review the traffic aspects of the school proposal and makes recommendations to the P&Z.

Scott Whelehan, representing the school, told P&Z members that 28 children would initially attend classes in the converted house.

Initially, the house would contain three classrooms. After a classroom building is constructed to replace the garage, both the garage and the house would contain two classrooms each.

Mary McLaughlin, school president, said the school in Dodgingtown is the only Waldorf  School in the state. Parents of students attending the school want the facility to remain in Dodgingtown, she said. One-third of the families which send children to the school live in Newtown, she said.

Mr O’Neil suggested that the school have all traffic entering and exiting the school site do so from Jacklin Road, as is now the case.

As part of its project, the school had proposed that some traffic use Dodgingtown Road for access to the property.

P&Z members are expected to act on the school’s expansion proposal at an upcoming session.