Warsaw Zoners Deny Daycare Center Use Variance Request
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Monday denied a request to allow a daycare center in a residentially zoned district. Board member Tammy Dalton made the motion to deny the variance to allow Growing Kids Learning Center to be at 501 N. Harrison St., seconded by Jack Wilhite. The board felt it was not appropriate to place a daycare commercial building in a residential district. The facility would have been surrounded by Titus Funeral Home, Warsaw Police Department and residential properties. Currently, daycare centers are only permitted as special exceptions in residential districts. Dalton said she had serious concerns about the additional traffic that would be generated from the daycare in the residential neighborhood. Wilhite said he agrees that Warsaw needs additional daycare facilities, but he had concerns about the proposed location for a daycare. Tom Allen, board president, said he also had concerns with the location. “I’m all in favor of this particular facility, but I’m just concerned about this particular location,” Allen said. Jeff Grose, city councilman who represents the district and lives three blocks from the proposed daycare, expressed his concern with locating a daycare in a residentially zoned district. Grose said he is in favor of a daycare, but he had a major concern with placing it on Harrison Street in a residential neighborhood, and expressed concerns for lack of sidewalks in the area. “I am all for increasing opportunities for parents, families and daycare centers. I firmly believe as a city councilman and almost 15-year member of the plan commission that we do have properties in the city limits of Warsaw and the surrounding area that are properly zoned for this use,” Grose said. He added, “The people who currently live on the surrounding properties are not going to see a home anymore, they are going to see a parking lot, lights and the footprint of this building and parking lot will not be like a residential home.” David Wayne, who owns property to the east of Harrison Street, said he had safety concerns of placing the daycare in a residential district with the Sheridan and Harrison Street intersection. Steve Snyder, attorney representing the daycare center, presented a study conducted by OrthoWorx that showed a need for additional licensed daycare facilities in Warsaw. Mike Garatoni, Growing Kids Learning Center president, said he began the center 20 years ago and there are currently five centers. He said the center would provide a year-round licensed daycare option with hours of operation from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The daycare also offers a smaller program that operates until 11:30 p.m. for parents who work later hours and need child care services. In other business, city attorney Mike Valentine swore in new board member Ron Shoemaker, who replaces the late Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan.
