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SBL: 37.15-1-23 & 53 Referral Zoning Board of Appeals Location: Saw Mill River Road, Yorktown Heights Contact: Architectural Visions, Joel Greenberg, the applicants and a designer from the Goddard School system Description: Proposed 10,000 SF daycare center known as the Goddard School in the C-1 zone. March 23, 2009, work session This is a proposal for a 126 child daycare center in the Triangle Shopping Center across from the Post Office in the space formerly occupied by a telemarketing company. The children will range in age from 6 weeks to 6 years old. The space is 10,000 sq. ft, well above the area required by the DOH. There will be no cooking in the facility. There will be an area designated for short-term parking while the children are dropped off and picked up. The peak hours for this will be 7-9am and 4-6 pm. Two roofs covering walkways on the side of the building will be removed to make a fenced outdoor play area. The play area surfaces will be a pervious material, so there was discussion of the necessary alterations to the site's sub-surface drainage system. Mr. Flynn questioned the health and safety of a daycare center above Foley's Print Shop with regard to chemical fumes. The applicant said that Foley's had entirely converted to laser processes so fumes are no longer an issue. Mr. Klaus questioned the desirability of a daycare center in a heavily commercial area. The applicant pointed out that only 12 children would be outside in the play area at a time and staffing ratios would insure their safety. In summary, the Planning Board saw no major planning issues and recommended the following: 1. A landscape plan be submitted to replace an existing landscape island being removed for construction of a new walkway from the parking area to the front entrance. 2. The storm water plan be engineered 3. The fire marshal be consulted about the design of the parking area and front access to ensure emergency vehicle access. 4. A traffic study be done 5. The Water Department be consulted about the location and depth of a water main that runs under the site. April 27, 2009, work session Ms. Wagner recused herself from this discussion. The applicant went through the list of questions and concerns the Planning Board had at their first look at this proposal. These included: The ownership of a water main on the site The water main is owned by the owner of the shopping center, not the Town. Storm water plan There will be no change in the amount of water flowing from the site, so a new storm water plan is not necessary. The outdoor playground area will be floored with a porous material so there will be no increase in run off. Landscaping Mr. McDermott described a landscaping plan which includes a planter along the building and several islands of planting. Mr. Tegeder emphasized that the applicant needs to provide larger scale, clearer, multi-view drawings so the fire marshal can get a clear understanding of what emergency responders will have to deal with in regard to access, hose connections and working around and through the landscaping. Drop off and Pick up area There was extensive discussion of parking provisions, the fire lane, the safety of parents and children walking from the parking area to the building and other traffic in the parking area. The building code requires that the drop off and pick up area for day care centers have ”direct access to the building.” Mr. Greenberg maintained the proposed parking area meets this requirement because parking will be restricted to day care patrons and it is a short, direct walk to the door of the facility. Obviously, children of the ages served by the day care center would always be accompanied by an adult. Mr. Flynn thought the parking area could become quite congested with all the day care patrons arriving at the same time and that extraneous shopping center traffic could be hazardous to pedestrians. Mr. Greenberg responded that the Goddard School experience is that arrivals and pick ups are spread out over two hours each, not all at one time and his observation of the proposed parking area indicated almost no cut through traffic from the rest of the shopping center. Mr. Giordano pointed out that maintaining safe conditions in the parking area and walkway to the school is an enforcement issue that the school administration might have to address with patrons from time to time. At the suggestion of Mr. Tegeder, the Planning Board directed the applicant to add pavement markings, signs and curbing to direct pedestrians to the building and indicating entrances, exits and traffic direction. Fumes from Foley's Print Shop There is only one exhaust vent from the print shop and this will be relocated to the roof of the building with the permission of the shopping center owners. This will direct any fumes away from the area used by children. Garbage The day care center owners will hire a private carting company. The Planning Board will provide a letter to the ZBA recommending the required variance. |