Cotleur & Hearing, Inc. an award-winning landscape architectural firm headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, was retained to provide planning and landscape services for the Els Center of Excellence located on a 24-acre site at the north end of Limestone Creek Road in unincorporated Palm Beach County. First, using their expertise in the entitlement process, Cotleur & Hearing worked with County staff to change the existing zoning designation which was inconsistent with the underlying land use by rezoning the subject property from Residential High (RH) to Residential Single Family (RS). The company then developed a Site Plan for the Charter School use. This Site Plan entailed the construction of a 33,150 sq. ft., lower-level school and a 33,150 sq. ft. upper-level school. It also included a 22,690 sq. ft. gymnasium, cafeteria, Center of Excellence Administration building, 3,852 sq. ft. pool, athletic field, golf practice course and driving range, basketball courts, greenhouse and multiple playgrounds.

• Client: Els Autism Foundation
• Location: Jupiter, Florida
• Project Type: Education
• Services Provided: Site Planning, Zoning Entitlement, and Landscape Architecture
• Project Size: 4-acres
• Completion Date: 2014