Germantown Planning Commission Meeting - September 1, 2026

The Germantown Planning Commission met on September 1, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers. The primary agenda item was a request by Bodine School (2432 Yester Oaks Drive) for a Conditional Use Permit and Revised Final Site Plan to expand its campus by 23,000 square feet, adding an indoor recreation space and four classrooms. After public testimony and deliberation, the commission approved the request with an amendment capping enrollment at 140 students.

Consent Calendar

• No consent agenda items were presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Supporters: Multiple speakers voiced strong support for Bodine School’s mission to teach dyslexic students. Thomas Crump (former city councilman, great-grandfather of a student) described the school as a “miracle” and emphasized the importance of its work. Dr. Mary McDonald (44-year Germantown resident, educator) called the school “an essential thread in the tapestry of educational excellence.” Ashley Jameson (neighbor and parent) stated that the new 43-car driveway will significantly reduce off-site queuing and that losing the school would hurt neighborhood character. Ann Brunson shared her grandson’s transformation. Frank Yulhorn (adjacent neighbor, BZA chairman) praised the school as a “terific neighbor.” Dr. Renee Lee (former head of school) and Sandra Saunders (parent) highlighted the school’s impact on children’s confidence and reading skills. Ron Spence (neighbor on Windy Oaks) supported the school but urged that Windy Oaks not be used for traffic.
• Opponents/Concerns: Several neighbors expressed concerns primarily about traffic, drainage, and code compliance. Larry Willis and Cynthia Tucker asked for drainage mitigation during construction. Tim Falls questioned how traffic would be handled during the one-year construction period. Daniel French noted that Windy Oaks is too narrow for any overflow traffic and that parents cannot be controlled. Scott Sweeta described daily queuing starting at 3:00 p.m. and requested school zone signs and enforcement. Mark Buissert doubted the accuracy of traffic projections. Rand Bolden argued that Yester Oaks is not a collector street as required by zoning and cited existing code violations (lighting, dumpster screening, missed landscape commitments). Leslie Bolden (direct neighbor) stated the school promised but never installed landscaping, and that the existing street lights are a nuisance. William Waits raised drainage concerns for the southeast corner.

Discussion Items

• Staff Report: Director Ross presented the project details. Bodine currently houses 100 students and 29 staff; the expansion would allow up to 140 students and add 7 staff. The site currently supports 6 queuing cars on-site, resulting in 35 cars queuing off-site on Yester Oaks and Dogwood. The proposed plan adds 43 on-site queuing spaces, reducing off-site queuing to 15 cars. The school meets all zoning bulk regulations with no variances requested. Tree mitigation requires 16 trees per acre (87 total) with 21 retained and 51 planted, leaving a shortage of 15 trees and a mitigation fee of $7,500 (paid voluntarily). Yester Oaks is not currently designated a collector street but was built to collector standards.
• Commissioner Questions: Commissioners asked about street classification (Yester Oaks qualifies in form but not function), flooding (a city capital project is evaluating Red Bud Trail; the school will provide over-detention), traffic during construction (enrollment will not increase until project completion), and code violations (dumpster screening and MLGW street lights will be addressed through the Design Review Commission).
• Applicant Response: Head of School John Murphy emphasized that dyslexia affects 20% of the population and that Bodine is the only school in the Mid-South providing this specialized instruction. The 140-student cap is based on classroom capacity (10 students per class). He committed to re-educating parents about queuing times and to addressing landscape and lighting issues. Traffic engineer Mike Crifty (Kimley-Horn) explained that the 58-car estimate (43 on-site, 15 off-site) accounts for carpools and after-school programs. Contractor Brett Grinder confirmed full erosion control and sediment basin plans for construction.
• Commission Deliberation: Commissioners stated that the project meets all conditional use findings. Commissioner Sisson noted the school’s compliance with bulk regulations and tree mitigation. Vice Chair Bacon emphasized that the plan significantly reduces on-street queuing and strongly discouraged any use of Windy Oaks as an alternative route. Commissioner Sloan highlighted that the school’s presence benefits the neighborhood. Chairman McCreary pointed out that drainage issues pre-exist the school and that the detention basin will help. He also commended the school for its textbook tree mitigation presentation.

Key Outcomes

• Amendment: Chairman McCreary moved to amend the motion to cap enrollment at 140 students. The amendment was seconded and passed unanimously (9-0).
• Main Motion: Vice Chair Bacon moved to approve the Conditional Use Permit and Revised Final Site Plan, subject to staff conditions and the enrollment cap. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (9-0).
• Next Steps: The project will proceed to the Design Review Commission for final approval of lighting, landscaping, and other details. Code compliance issues (dumpster screening, street light replacement) are to be resolved during that process.