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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 11, 1997 P&Z Minutes Meridian Planning & ~ng Commission March 11, 1997 .~ Page 48 - would like to talk to us tonight? Seeing no one then I will close the public hearing on this issue. MacCoy: Mr. Chairman, I move we have the attorney prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law for this project. Borup: Second Johnson: We have a motion and a second to have the City Attorney prepare findings of fact and conclusions onaw, all those in favor? Opposed? MOTION CARRIED: All Yea ITEM #17: PUBLIC HEARING: REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A CHILD CARE FACILITY FOR 13+ CHILDREN BY RHONDA WILLIAMSON (R- HOUSE CHILD CARE): Johnson: I will now open the public hearing and ask Rhonda Williamson or her representative to address the Commission. Rhonda Williamson, 2009 West Sunnyslope, Meridian, was sworn by the City Attorney. Williamson: I plan on expanding my current child care which is' now existing in my home in the Vineyards, I currently watch five children. My proposed plan is to expand this child care and I am in the process of purchasing 208 E. 3rd Street which I have asked for a conditional use permit to run the child care facility from that. I have been in personal contact with the adjoining neighbors and there has been positive feedback from them. My general hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p'.m., I will be closed on the weekends. I will have an occasional time where I will interview parents. The total number of children that will be allowed at this facility or at least that I will require will be 20. The ages that I will watch are newborns to five. There will be no other employees other than myself and my husband, we will run this and own it and operate it ourselves. I have a new vicinity, the map that you guys have received rRlaudible) First of alii would like to say I didn't take drawing classes or anything so this is just my own concoction. This property as I said is on East 3rd Street. The reason why I had made this vicinity map again, I have met with Ada County Highway District and there were two different situations that we had talked about. First of all in Plan A I am running this child care as a home, in other words my theme is our home away from home. What I am looking to do is try to preserve the look in the neighborhood and also keep the home looking like a home. In words I will not have a sign out in front, I want to try to keep away from making it look like an exact day care center. I want to make it look like a home day care. Just with a greater number of children. On the actual property I am able to have 3 parking spaces and in speaking with Shari I am supposed to have 4 actual parking spaces, I think that is one per 10 children and one per employee. Being as my husband and I will be the Meridian Planning & z8ng Commission March 11, 1997 Page 49 - employees we are asked to have four. The reason why I bring this us is I am asking that if in speaking with Ada County Highway they don't have a problem with me continuing the in plan A continuing the area from the street on 3rd, the actual pavement continuing that all the way to this public sidewalk. In doing so, using one on street parking space for my facility. That is one scenario, the other scenario for plan B is to actually put an additional parking space in front of the house which will be on my property. My reason for bringing both of these to you is the fact that I will do whatever you have considered to be the best for the situation for the neighborhood. But I did want to reiterate the fact that I am trying to keep and preserve the old town look, Like I said my theme home away from home I want to try to keep it looking like a home therefore trying to avoid the parking lot scene. I have, lastly I have read the comments regarding our review. We will comply with all of the requirements as read. Are there any questions of me? Johnson: First of all, do you know the Harris's? Williamson: Yes I do Johnson: We are in receipt of a letter from them that oppose the application and you stated you met with the neighbors and they were in favor of it. Did you talk with the Harris's? Williamson: Yes in fact I have spoken to them a number of times on the phone, I have seen them twice personally and I was given no indication as to whether or not they would be opposed to that. They have actually asked me specific questions. Johnson: Do you have a copy of the letter they sent to the City, .would you like one? Williamson: I would Johnson: Secondly, I understand where you are coming from with respect to wanting the premises to look like the rest of the neighborhood, our concern is more of one of life safety and parking enters into that. Is there anyway it can be configured that the additional parking spaces required could be put in? Williamson: To be put in? Johnson: Well it requires four and you have three. Williamson: Yes in plan B I also have a separate area where it says that I can put an additional parking space directly in front of the house. Which would be on the front yard property which would be off street. That is my second plan. It meets all of the size requirements. Meridian Planning & L8ng Commission March 11, 1997 Page 50 e Johnson: I have one other question and this is just because I don't know, can you and your husband handle 13+ children? Williamson: As a matter of fact we can. I personally love children, I have been taking care of these 5+ children for two years now and to be honest with you. I have a degree in child development and originally I started in social work. Being that was so depressing I finally decided to start shaping kids at the early age rather than reacting to what happens later on. So anyway, this has become a very big love of mine and taking care of children is basically what I have been looking for. I have been doing it for two years like I said and my husband has joined in my effort and my love for children. So yes. Johnson: Thank you, there are probably other questions from the commissioners. MacCoy: Are any of the children your children? Williamson: I have one child. MacCoy: I may have missed what you said here but in reading the material you are going to have 13+ children was 20 was the top of that? Williamson: That is the max. required for the amount of square footage in the home. MacCoy: I had the same thought process here that Jim had here the fact, I guess it just struck me that they had 20 children and it was just you and your husband, that to me seemed like a lot of children. . Williamson: I personally have set goals as far as exactly what the ratio should be. In other words I won't have 20 infants. I personally will only allow 2 infants and 4 children under the age of 2 and that is my own personal rules and guidelines. As far as what I feel should be. Just because of the fact that infants and young children need more attentiveness and such. Being the fact that the additional children would be at a toddler to pre-school age generally they play together. Like I said it is not a huge house it is the fact that my husband and I would have a watchful eye all of the time. MacCoy: (Inaudible) Are you planning, this is kind of a both sided question, have any handicapped children or to say you will not take care of handicapped children? Williamson: It will be open for anything. MacCoy: If that is the case then are you aware that if you go into that you have got a lot things you are going to have to take care of because Meridian Planning & ze,g Commission March 11, 1997 Page 51 -- Williamson: When it comes time we will address those issues and do whatever is required of us. MacCoy: On your drawing here the fence is how high? Williamson: We will have a privacy fence which is a 6 foot fence. MacCoy: A gate will be where? Williamson: On which side of the property sir? MacCoy: I am just looking for a gate I don't know. Williamson: I actually didn't write that in, where the three parking spaces are toward the end where it says a 14 foot new privacy fence will be, I will have a gate there. I will also have a gate over to the southwest portion of the property over to the west portion where the shed is, there is a line there. There is an actual gate that will go in there also. The top where the shed is off to the right, that is where the privacy fence will go across also. Does that make sense? MacCoy: Yes it does, and those gates will be lockable? Williamson: Yes and they will be with a combination lot, that is thé way I do my own home now. MacCoy: Children are very good at opening doors and locks and everything else as you probably already know. Williamson: I have been very successful with the children that I have now and I can tell you that my children are top priority so safety is a number one measure for me. MacCoy: I am not sure this is a problem for you, have you looked into the noise factor considering the neighbors with that many children around a house is a house and eventually that noise level is going to get a little higher than you plan for a regular house. When you talk to your neighbors were they at all upset with that? Williamson: The Harris's, he had said we are a little concerned as to the fact of the children hanging on their fence. Which like I said we are putting in a new privacy fence which will separate their fence from our fence. So needless to say they won't be in contact. Their property stops at a particular line also, where our property will abut Weast TV which is a commercial zone and then off to the southeast portion and the northeast portion of Lot 11 this property is owned by a construction company. In other words there isn't anyone directly behind the house or in the backyard to be able to conflict as far as the noise wise. As I said where the fence is going to be on the right Meridian Planning & zAg Commission March 11, 1997 Page 52 8 hand side of the property the Harris's property is to the complete west portion of their lot, in other words there is a large portion of their property which is just a grass area. So therefore like I said the privacy will really help cut out part of that noise and likewise any jungle gym or whatever else we will put in the back of the property that won't affect any of the direct neighbors. It will be just in the vicinity of where the commercial zones are. MacCoy: That was my next question (inaudible). On the other said, you mentioned you are not a draftsman, I thought you did a pretty good job with this. (Inaudible) I am going to pass it on to Keith. Borup: I don't think you addressed this, this was one of the questions, hours of operation. Williamson: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Borup: Some questions have been asked on the number of children, does Health and Welfare have a ratio guideline? Williamson: Yes they do it is 1 to 12. Borup: So you are planning on being under that. Then, here on one of your first parking plans you are talking about having the parking, was the parking changed after discussing with ACHD, it looks like they preferred Williamson: Parallel Borup: Well it looks like they preferred having the stacked parking along the side of the house. Was that from their recommendation to pave and do parallel parking in front, was that a discussion with ACHD? Williamson: That was in our discussion and they actually recommended that I put in the three parking spaces going to the left of the home and using one of the spaces out front on the, as an on street parking they requested that I use that. That was my recommendation, am I correct on that. Borup: I think the parking requirements from ACHD (inaudible) Williamson: Right, exactly but I think that was their recommendation is that they wanted me to do that. That is why I came up with Plan A and Plan B Borup: Do you have a comment Shari? Meridian Planning & zAg Commission March 11, 1997 Page 53 8 Stiles: Because of their requirement for off street parking I think the applicant at first thought was her property that went clear out to the road. In fact there is an 80 foot right of way in there so clear to the sidewalk is ACHD right of way. It is a lot of dirt in between the pavement (inaudible) Williamson: Yes originally I was under the impression that was part of our property and that was the reason for (inaudible) Fitzgerald: I have one quick question, are there any open ditches or swimming pools or open water on the property? Williamson: No MacCoy: I was going to ask you, do you have a dog? Williamson: On the property, no, this would be used primarily for child care. MacCoy: I know we got into one of them that had a couple very large dogs and we got concerned about that. (Inaudible) Williamson: Anything else. Johnson: Anyone from the public that would like to address the Commission at this time? I will close the public hearing at this time. MacCoy: Mr. Chairman, I move we have the attorney prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law for this project. Borup: Second Johnson: All those in favor? Opposed? MOTION CARRIED: All Yea ITEM #18: PUBLIC HEARING: REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR AN AUTOMOBILE EMISSION TESTING STATION BY JOSEPH HANSON (IDAHO AIR): Johnson: I will now open this public hearing. William Egbert, 11560 Ramrod Drive, Boise, was sworn by the City Attorney.