NORMAL - The town of Normal Planning Commission on Thursday recommended approval of a site plan amendment for a two-story addition with new parking lots at Sugar Creek Elementary School. The Normal Town Council will vote on it Dec. 15.

Most of the discussion focused on whether there will be enough room for parents dropping off children - and especially picking them up after school is out. Some parents come as many as 20 to 30 minutes early before school is out.

Sugar Creek School, 200 N. Towanda Ave., will double from 300 to 600 students, with the new addition to open in 2010. The plan is part of $96.7 million in projects voters approved in February.

Buses will continue to use the existing parking lot, while all other traffic will use the new loop road and parking lot to the north.

More than an hour of discussion revolved around the results of months of planning logistics regarding enough room for parents to get into and out of school property and not clog up Towanda Avenue, a heavily traveled road.

Don Adams, an engineer with Farnsworth Group, led the discussion for the plan for more parking spaces and more lanes for traffic. The spaces is a concern because many parents don't want students walking or using the bus.

The Farnsworth Group watched parents dropping off and picking up students at various Twin City schools and saw-among other things-parents parked in the middle of streets waiting to get their children.

The planning commission was assured signs would mark where school buses would be allowed and where other traffic had to go. They also assured Unit 5 employee presence outside before and after school to direct any motorists needing help.

"As a Unit 5 parent, I don't want to be holding up progress," said Kathleen Lorenz, a planning commission member. She also noted a tight construction schedule time frame.

"We do feel really comfortable with the design," said Mercy Davis, town planner.

When Adams was asked after the meeting if the plan would mean a lot less green space, he replied, "That's the trade-off."