St. Thomas school in Glenvar Heights wants to expand. Neighbors worried about traffic
.png "The proposed new two-story gymnasium by St. Thomas the Apostle School, which needs approval by Miami-Dade County to expand its K-8 school and church and other buildings in the Glenvar Heights neighborhood.")
Expansion plans by the St. Thomas the Apostle School face a county vote on Thursday, with some neighbors warning of increased traffic and others supporting the zoning request.
The private Catholic school on 19 acres at the corner of Southwest 64th Street and 72nd Avenue in the Glenvar Heights neighborhood wants to add classroom space and increase the existing K-8 enrollment about 40% from roughly 530 students to 750.
The zoning approvals needed for the construction are up for a vote before the Miami-Dade County Commission at a 9:30 a.m. meeting at the Stephen P. Clark Center. The request includes standing permission to hold a one-day carnival on the property, rather than having to seek permission each year.
Proposed upgrades to the campus include:
▪ A two-story gymnasium off Southwest 62nd Street
▪ A two-story rectory building off Southwest 64th Street
▪ Three two-story classroom buildings constructed in phases next to each other, also along Southwest 64th Street
▪ A 15,000-square-foot addition to the existing church on campus
▪ A meditation garden and a parking lot
County planners said the larger school would cause morning traffic to increase by as much as 22% on surrounding roads, and dozens of residents in the Glenvar Heights neighborhood signed petitions asking Miami-Dade to only approve a traffic plan that would relieve pressure on local streets.
“We have narrow roads and do not have sidewalks in our neighborhood,” the petition said. “Therefore, the pedestrians and bicycle riders must share the road with the speeding automobile traffic from the school and the commuters.”
St. Thomas said it modified its traffic plan to address resident concerns, including county-approved signage directing traffic to 72nd Avenue, security guards the school would hire for traffic control, and more interior space for automobiles within the campus.
The school has support from other neighbors. Mary Faraldo, an advocate who has opposed other projects, said she thought the new St. Thomas layout would keep cars off the street during peak time.
“They are going to have more cars inside the campus than are there now spilling onto the street,” Faraldo said. “It will actually be better.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 7:32 PM.