Both the Lexington Planning Commission and City Council have unanimously voted to approve amendments to a conditional use permit for the Blue Ridge Outdoor School’s day care center at Grace Episcopal Church to increase the number of students and expand the hours of operation. The governing bodies took those actions at meetings on April 24 and May 15, respectively.
The permit was initially approved in July 2024 and allowed for a maximum of 13 students ages 3 to 6 in the program, which operated between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Rhianna Schlief, the owner and founder of Blue Ridge Outdoor School, requested the permit be amended to allow the program to have a maximum 20 students and operate from 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. beginning in August. In a letter sent with the application, Schlief explained that not all of the students will be attending five days a week. Some will be attending two days, others attending three and some attending all five, with a maximum of 20 students at any given time.
Both City Council and Planning Commission held public hearings on the permit, though no one from the public spoke at either hearing.
