Chambana Sun

Champaign Plan Commission met Wednesday, Feb. 15.

The Plan Commission acts in an advisory capacity for the City Council. It discusses and reviews various land-use and related issues. It also considers preliminary and final subdivision plans, zoning changes, and annexation agreements. The Commission consists of seven members and two alternates that are appointed by the Mayor and approved by Council. Members serve three-year terms.

Here are the minutes as provided by Champaign:

CITY OF CHAMPAIGN

PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES

February 15, 2017

Meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.

Roll Call:

Members Present: Kroencke, Cole, Dudley, Bryan

Staff Present: Kowalski, Knight, Marino, Ansong, Vandeventer, Bannon

Minutes:

The minutes of the February 1, 2017 meeting were unanimously approved and accepted as submitted.

Staff is sworn.

PL17-0004 Text Amendment to Sections 37-61.2, 37-62.2, 37-63.2 and 37-64.2 of the Champaign Zoning Ordinance to allow Commercial Day Cares as a permitted use in the Commercial General, Central Business Urban Fringe, Central Business Downtown and Central Business Campustown Districts

Ansong: We are here to consider a text amendment to allow commercial day care center as a permitted use in our Commercial General, Central Business Urban Fringe, Central Business Downtown, and Central Business Campustown districts. The existing Zone Ordinance has a definition that clarifies what is considered babysitting and what is considered a commercial daycare center. That distinction is made at eight children under age sixteen. Once you are taking care of more than eight children you are considered a commercial day care center. Once you are a commercial day care center you have additional requirements for operation. You would be required to provide four stacking spaces to allow for peak periods during drop off and pick up. As well as outdoor activities are limited to the rear and side yards between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. There are also additional provisions for day care centers in residential districts but this would not apply to establishments in these four commercial districts.

Tina reviews to zoning districts in which day care center are provisionally permitted. She explains that it consists of all the residential districts, the In-Town Mixed Use, Commercial, Neighborhood, Interstate Business Park and both Industrial Districts. It was brought to our attention that a commercial day care center would not be allowed in any of our Central Business or Commercial Zoning Districts besides Neighborhood Commercial.

What are the potential impacts of adding commercial day care center in the Commercial Zoning Districts? The high traffic generation potential, particularly at the peak drop off and pick up times. We feel that this impact would be mitigated by the standards in the Ordinance that requires the four stacking spaces in addition to the fact that these are Commercial Zoning Districts and have existing infrastructure whether it be capacity or streets that are quite capable of accommodating high intensity uses that have the potential to generate high traffic.

Other justifications for permitting day care center in commercial districts include the fact that as said earlier; day care centers are a commercial use and would complement the purpose and intent of the four intended zoning districts which specifically state that their purpose is to provide a variety of services to the community and it would also allow entrepreneurs more flexibility when locating daycare centers and it will make commuting between employment and child care faster and easier particularly for families who don’t have access to a car.

Staff recommends forwarding case PL17-0004 to City Council with a recommendation for approval.

Dudley: Any questions? Bryan: I assume that stacking spaces are vehicular spaces? Ansong: Yes.

Dudley: Would anyone in the audience wish to speak to this issue?

Dudley: I will ask for a motion to close the public hearing. Cole: So moved. Bryan:

Seconds. Unanimous “yes” vote.

Dudley: May I have a motion to forward to City Council? Cole: I move that we forward case PL 17-0004 to City Council with our recommendation for approval. Bryan: Seconds. Unanimous “yes” vote.

Knight: This will go to City Council on March 7, 2017.

Knight: We had a Study Session on the agenda to talk about by-laws and the public hearing process but we will hold off till more Commissioners are present.

Adjourned at 4:09