A public hearing on proposed day care zoning ordinance amendments by the Kosciusko Area Plan Commission only drew supporters Wednesday.
The Commission unanimously passed the amendments, with an amendment of their own. It will now go before the Kosciusko County Commissioners at 9:15 a.m. July 20 as the Commission is only a recommending body to the Commissioners.
The amendments were first presented to the Plan Commission and public at the June meeting.
“If you’ll recall, what this does is it eases up our ordinances in quite a few areas where now it does allow day care operations, as permitted uses in some districts, and identifies day care operations on their own, not classified as home occupation or home-based businesses. And allows them to proceed as that entity on their own and not having to be associated with a home-based business or home occupation-type of use,” Area Plan Director Dan Richard told the Commission Wednesday.
Under public use, child day care services (non-occupied home) is listed under permitted use. Under agricultural, residential and commercial, child day care services are listed under exception uses. Under limited industrial and light industrial (I-2), the services are listed under permitted uses, but under exceptional uses under heavy industrial (I-3).
Parking requirements for child day care services (non-occupied home) are one for each full-time caregiver and one for every two children approved for (as an example, 16 children requires eight parking spaces).
The original definition of child day care services (non-occupied home) was “an establishment providing non-overnight care, supervision and protection of children in a private residential structure. A residential structure in which at least six and no more than 16 children at any time receive child care from a provider while unattended by a parent, legal guardian or custodian; for regular compensation; and for more than four hours but less than 24 hours in each of 10 consecutive days per year, excluding intervening Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.”
Signage is limited to no larger than 12 square feet for a residential district, 24 square feet for an agricultural district and “as allowed” for commercial or I-1 and I-2 districts.
The ordinance states any outdoor play area shall be secured by ordinance compliant fencing. All sewage and water facilities must have proper approval for the overseeing authority.
After Plan Commission President Dr. Lee Harman asked for any public comments, Sherry Searles, director of LaunchPad (a child care and early learning coalition), said they were very grateful that the Plan Commission took the time to look at some ordinances “that will remove this barrier for our child care desert.”
Harman asked her to briefly describe why she saw the ordinance amendments as an important step.
She said Kosciusko County is considered a “child care desert” because “we only have one seat for every three children that need care. We’re short about 1,800 child care seats.” This prevents families from going back to work.
“We know that we have jobs on every corner, and sometimes we’re hearing, ‘If they would remove those extra benefits, people wouldn’t get to stay home. Everyone would rush back to work,’” Searles said. “The truth is that child care is also a reason that people aren’t rushing back to the work force. So we need affordable, high-quality child care and that’s the mission of LaunchPad: to help our families have affordable options.”
Kevin McSherry, Plan Commission member, pointed out the amendments said “non-overnight care.” Searles said she was glad he had pointed that out because that also was brought to her attention.
“It is something that we foresee, that businesses may step into this space and have child care for their workforce,” she said, pointing out that’s what the Speichers of Instrumental Machine & Development wanted to do for their first-shift employees. City of Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals denied their request to have a daycare center at 615 N. Parker St. in March.
But, she said, there may be opportunities for child care during third shifts for parents who have to work during that time. She agreed with McSherry that “non-overnight care” could be taken out of the ordinance amendments.
Todd Speicher voiced his support for the amendments. He said at his own business they have some child care issues and he tried to set a child care up on their own as a business to provide child care for their employees.
Stephanie Overbey, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, said, “I wanted to express to you that the reason we feel this is important and so forth is that in the areas around the county that are less urban, the less populated centers, child care homes are a solution that is affordable and sustainable for a community that … might not be able to support a 75- or 100-spot child care facility, but could support a home that would service the families in that area.”
County Commissioner and Plan Commission member Bon Conley made the motion to approve the amendments with the amendment that the words “non-overnight care” be taken out of the definition of child care services. His motion was approved.
McSherry noted that if any child day care services come before the Plan Commission, he personally was going to look at the traffic plan as he wants it to be safe for the kids to be dropped off and picked up.
Richard said the favorable recommendation for the ordinance amendments will go before the Commissioners at 9:15 a.m. July 20.
