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Defining Day Care and Child Centers
Florissant to Clarify Education
Centers Zoning Code Changes
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council’s first September meeting included several items requiring council action and one public hearing about a request to amend the zoning code for clarification of a special use for educational development centers.
City Building Commissioner Phil Lum spoke to the council about the request
“Staff proposed this change,” Lum said. “because in the special uses, there has been no definition of an educational center in the zoning code.”
The council, in the past, he said, banned child day care centers in shopping centers. Now, he said, the staff has struggled with defining a daycare as opposed to an educational development center. He said that many concerns about day care centers would also be present in educational development center.
The city’s staff asked Planning and Zoning to look into the matter, Lum said. The P and Z Commission recommended that educational developmental centers also be prohibited in shopping centers.
Councilman Joe Eagan asked about businesses such as Kumon Learning Centers and Councilwoman Jackie Pagano asked about Sylvan Learning Centers. Councilman Tim Lee asked if any existing centers would be grandfathered in. “This would just prevent new centers?” he asked. City Attorney John Hessel said that yes, existing centers would be allowed to remain.
Councilman Gerard Henke asked how the city would determine who is an educational development center. “If I run a daycare and read to the kids every afternoon, does that make me an education center?” he asked.
Lum said that city staff had done research on the project. “We found that there are not many differences,” he said. Different state organizations regulate the centers.
“How do we treat tutoring services, where children will come for few hours?” asked Councilman Mark Schmidt. There are no
Facilities for keeping children for a long time, he said. Lum said that if they wanted to open in a shopping center, they would have to come before P and Z and the council for a special use permit. He said he was concerned that they were being unfair to the tutoring centers by treating them the same way as a center that keeps children for a longer time.
“What about a dancing school?” Pagano asked. Lum said they would review the application. Dance studios are a permitted use.
In other matters, the council:
- Passed a bill that authorizes the appropriation of $45,000 from the General Revenue Fund to cover additional costs for telephones.
- Approved a request for a liquor license for the Exxon at 12785 New Halls Ferry Rd.
- Approved a request to transfer a special use permit from Tail Winds LLC to Champion Restaurants for the operation of a restaurant, sports bar and arcade at 2109 Charbonier Rd.
This is location of the former Deavers Restaurant. The council also passed a bill that approves the transfer of the special use permit.
- Approved a request for a full liquor by the drink license for Champion Restaurants at 2109 Charbonier Rd.
- Passed a bill authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with the St. Louis County to provide for the city’s participation in the multi-jurisdictional drug task force.
- Passed a bill authorizing the transfer of $4,000 from the Gasoline account to the Equipment Repairs for additional equipment repairs for the golf course and the appropriation of $1,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Professional Services Fund for legal services regarding the SB5 appeal.
