Parking Concerns Put Tutoring Center Permits on Hold

A proposed tutoring center in a South Diamond Bar business park is on hold for a lack of needed parking.

The city's planning commission voted Tuesday to hold permits for the tutoring center that looks to host up to 30 students at a time.

According to the proposal submitted for the site at 782-784 Pinefalls Avenue, the center would accommodate 10 students and three instructors for each class, but it came out during Tuesday's meeting that this could mean up to 30 students at one time.

"The proposal should be brought back with the correct information," Planning Commmission Chair Jack Shah said.

City staff had estimated that 25 total spaces would be available for the tutoring center, with only 13 occupied at one time, but Commissioner Jimmy Lin said that number could multiply with more students and overlapping classes.

"If there are 10 students and three instructors, the maximum parking would be 23 spaces, with 10 cars dropping students off and 10 picking students up," Lin said. "With 30 students, there would be no way to find parking."

Commissioners also raised concern about businesses neighboring the proposed tutoring center, in an area that is zoned for light industrial development, but the permit applicant, who runs a neighboring Montessori School at 801 Brea Canyon Road, said the business park hosts a number of similar uses nearby.

The proposed tutoring center would occupy a 3,835 square-foot space with three classrooms for classes in math, reading, writing, communication, and test preparation for students between grades K-6.

The next meeting of the planning commission will be on May 10 at 7 p.m. in the AQMD auditorium.