Planning commission approves daycare

The planning commission unanimously approved a request for a conditional use permit for a daycare facility alongside Forest Hills Boulevard.

The approval is contingent on the applicant meeting all required standards, which Community Development Services senior planner Derek Linn said is very likely.

Commissioner J.B. Portillo was absent for the meeting.

Linn said the application met most of the review criteria but, as discussed during the Jan. 30 work session, on-site parking was a concern, but revisions to the plan have improved the parking to an adequate level.

Commissioner Doug Farner said he’s concerned the parking lot may not be big enough.

“Cars are going to have to come in, turn around, and drive right back out … is there room there?” he asked.

He’s concerned, he said, that cars could be stacked up into the street when people drop off or pick up children.

The applicant, Tanya Murray, said the daycare will serve roughly 35 kids and she expects them to show up sporadically over a period of a few hours.

Moreover, she said, the parking lot has space for more cars than one might expect.

“There’s a lot of room there. It’s hard to see it,” she said.

Community Development Services director Doug Tapp said he’s taken kids to daycare and doesn’t expect it to be a problem.

“She’s looking at ten dropoffs an hour,” he said.

The commission was also introduced to the Community Development Services department’s new associate planner, Taylor Robertson.

Robertson said she has a background in planning and legal work.