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Central Catholic High School has stood in Southeast Portland, at Stark Street and 24th Avenue, for 72 years. If enough money can be raised, school officials would like to update campus buildings 鈥� many that were built in the 1940s.

But the private school sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood 鈥� and residents dislike the amount of traffic generated by more than 800 students, many who commute. Some park along neighboring streets when parking lots on the school’s grounds fill up.

The conflict has escalated so quickly 鈥� according to residents, at least 鈥� that a group called Immediate Neighbors of Central Catholic High started an effort to encourage the school to leave the neighborhood.

鈥淲e did this online petition asking the school to sell (its) property, and take the money and build a state-of-the art school that’s not in the middle of a high-density neighborhood,鈥� said Charlie Christensen, a member of INCCH.

As of Tuesday, the petition had 68 signatures.

鈥淭hey have dismissed that out of hand,鈥� Christensen said.

The parking issue is particularly divisive. Christensen said INCCH suggested that the school build a lot either above or below a sports field within what he calls the school’s 鈥渢raditional boundaries.鈥�

鈥淚deally, if they had parking for even half of their vehicles, we wouldn’t be having these discussions,鈥� Christensen said.

鈥淟ike a lot of other schools that find themselves in a residential area, our issue is trying to balance the needs of a school and what goes on during a typical school day and evening with the concerns of the neighbors, as regards to traffic,鈥� Central Catholic President John Harrington said.

Central Catholic’s proposed master plan does call for adding parking on a lot the school owns; however, that proposal doesn’t appeal to residents.

鈥�(The lot has) been a park for 25 years and that’s been part of the fabric of the neighborhood,鈥� Christensen said. 鈥淭he park is what we’re used to. Neighbors are totally against the school expanding into the neighborhood.鈥�

Even if the master plan were approved as proposed, Central Catholic wouldn’t increase enrollment, according to Harrington. The plan calls for adding 48,000 square feet to the school’s campus in three phases, but much of that area would be common space, or classrooms that would replace some smaller, windowless ones.

In the first phase of the master plan, the school would build a 鈥渓ink building鈥� to connect its two academic buildings and enclose a courtyard. The school would add a new 鈥渓earning commons鈥� for large group meetings and social events, and a choir and music room. Music groups presently use a room that was once a locker room 鈥� with showerheads still in place.

鈥淎s a catholic school, they have a lot of meetings, which they don’t currently have space for,鈥� said Chris Linn, a Boora Architects principal who is the project designer.

The first phase also would add a counseling center and space for a new student support services program.

鈥淭his would support students with learning challenges and disabilities 鈥� kids who need support and want a catholic high school education,鈥� Harrington said. 鈥淭his is something we haven’t been able to do in many catholic high schools to this point.鈥�

In the second and third phases, the school would renovate old classrooms and add some on a new second story.

鈥淚’m not real excited about them adding a second story to that building,鈥� Christensen said. 鈥淭wo and a half sides of that school are big, blank concrete walls right now. Certainly the second story they’re adding is handsome-looking, but just the scale of it for that residential neighborhood, where most of the houses are single-story bungalows, is a monumental size that is way out of character for the neighborhood.鈥�

Linn said the goal of the design was to add space on the interior of the existing footprint. 鈥淲e’ve come up with some clever ideas of adding more multiuse educational space within the block so it has no impact on the neighborhood,鈥� he said.

INCCH and school officials have engaged in multiple meetings mediated by a dispute resolution organization, and have discussed updating a 鈥済ood neighbor agreement鈥� between the affected parties. So far, those talks have not progressed, Christensen said.

On June 6, residents will be able to officially voice their concerns about the school’s conditional-use master plan during a public hearing before the city’s Bureau of Development Services. School officials need city approval for the project because it would be on land zoned residential, and the new building would be larger than presently allowed by zoning.

If the plan were approved, the school would still need to raise money to implement it. Harrington was hopeful that the work would take place in the next 10 years.

鈥淔rankly, we didn’t think they were going to move out of the neighborhood,鈥� Christensen said. 鈥�(The petition is) a show of how frustrated neighbors are living next to a school that doesn’t even pay lip service to mollifying the neighborhood.鈥�