Journal & Topics Media Group

Council Nixes Site For Day Care On Devon


Adrianna Correa had hopes of opening a day care center, Children’s World Learning Center, at 623 Devon Ave. in South Park, because she says there really is no place for families to find those services south of Devon.

Her priority was to get the location approved by the state for an operating license, so she had contacted Community Preservation and Development to expedite that part of the paperwork.

She told the City Council Monday, Oct. 15 she had invested a lot in architectural studies to meet the state licensing requirements. Then she took her plans to the Zoning Board of Appeals and discovered she couldn’t meet parking requirements and would need three major variations.

There isn’t enough street parking on Devon on her block. She was hoping for a 15-minute loading zone near the corner, with additional spaces on the nearby side street.

Some of her requested spaces were too far away. They would have to be 300 ft. or less from the business but are 375 ft. away.

She was told she needed at least five spaces. While there are two parking spaces behind the storefront, she is required to have a playground, so would put the play equipment there and need to locate two more.

She told aldermen Oct. 15 there really were not many options for parking, but she had talked to neighbors nearby about renting two spaces on their driveway.

She argued that her clients would do drop-offs before the other businesses open at 9 a.m.

While she didn’t trust the findings of fact that led the ZBA to reject the plan unanimously, she didn’t get much farther Oct. 15 with the aldermen.

They had the power to overrule ZBA, and the motion to reconsider was presented in the positive, to approve.

Ald. Marty Joyce, whose 7th Ward includes the site, agreed there is a need for preschool services, but not this site.

The motion failed, 7-0.

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