However, Christensen said he supported ….

However, Christensen said he supported approval of the plan noting the institutional zoning district codes give the planning commission flexibility in approving things like driveway entrances widths and numbers.

“It makes all the sense in the world and will enhance the ingress and egress,” Christensen said of the proposed site plan, noting he felt it would improve safety in the area.

A question was raised about the ability of a bus to make the turn in the parking lot to pick up and drop off students.

“We have had the school bus folks in on this,” Hallgren said, noting they have included bus company representatives in the planning. He said they feel it will be tight, but that there will be enough room so long as other vehicles are not in the way. “If we get folks who lallygag here with a vehicle we will have issues,” Hallgren said of the area at the north end of the lot.

Commission member Tim Hansen, who is a bus driver, noted there was only one bus in the morning and another in the evening that dropped off and picked up students at the school.

“We have a ways to go here,” Hallgren said of the project and the need to raise the funds to make it happen.

The site plan was approved as presented.

In other business, commission members:

_ Approved an annexation request from Mike and Judy Brandner for their home located on the southern end of South Park Avenue. The annexation includes the home and a strip of land connecting the home to the city, but the surrounding wooded acreage will remain in the town of Medford.

_ Tabled action on reviewing the proposed site plan for the Marshfield Clinic Systems hospital complex planned for Hwy 64 and 9th Street. Christensen said the hospital was revising their site plan and would be submitting a new one for consideration.

_ Took no action on the formal site plan for an apartment complex planned for a city-owned parcel located at the north end of Pep’s Drive near the CTH O intersection. Commission members had approved the rezoning request for the parcel last month and were supposed to approve the site plan this month, but Christensen had missed including it in the commission packets. Mayor Mike Wellner, who chairs the planning commission, said he may need to call a special meeting later this month to get the site plan approved to prevent construction delays this spring.

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Holy Rosary Church is planning to reconfi gure the parking lot.