Rezoning move might reshape school's future

Rainier Christian School officials hope at some future date to expand the services they offer at the 7.9-acre site at 20 49th St. NE, the location of the former Thomas Academy.

Standing in the way until recently, however, was city zoning at the site, which limited expansion to only 25 percent.

The Auburn City Council on Monday approved a request by Rainier Christian to change the zoning on the three parcels from a light industrial to an institutional designation, which will make such changes possible.

"This simply allows us the possibility to do something in the future," said Glenn Olson, development director of school's parent offices, Rainier Christian Schools in Renton. "We have no definite plans at this point in time."

Since at least 1928, the site has served as a public and private school, starting out as Thomas School then operating for many years as Thomas Academy. Rainier Christian bought the property from Thomas Academy in April 2005 and continues to operate it as a private school, serving 220 students from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Rainier Christian Schools applied for a comprehensive plan land use map amendment at the same time as the rezone on June 19, 2008, asking for a land use change. The City Council approved the amendment on Dec. 1, 2008. On Feb. 27, City Hearing Examiner Phil Olbrechts recommended that the City Council approve the zoning change, with one condition: the school will have to prepare and file a historic property inventory to document the building's architectural and historic value in conjunction with any future applications that would result in any ground disturbance or building demolition.

In other action, the City Council:

• Set a public hearing for Monday, May 4, 2009 to consider the vacation of a portion of the alley south of 1st Street Northeast between North Division Street and Auburn Avenue Northeast, the last section required by Jeff Oliphant's Key Bank Block-City Annex redevelopment now under construction immediately east of City Hall. The vote was six to one. Only Councilmember Virginia Haugen opposed giving the public a hearing on the issue.