The City of Stonecrest Board of Zoning and Appeals on Sept. 16 approved a variance allowing a child day care to operate at 6029 Hillandale Drive, waiving the 1,000-foot separation requirement in Section 4.2.19 of the Stonecrest code. The board voted to approve application V-25-006 with staff-recommended conditions and said the facility must obtain state licensing before opening.

Senior Planner (staff) presented the application, describing the property as a 0.86-acre parcel (Parcel ID 1608802005) in M (light industrial) zoning and in the Stonecrest overlay Tier 6. The presenter said the structure was built about 1984 and operated as a licensed day care until approximately 2020, was used as a residence between 2021 and 2024, and is currently vacant. The variance sought would waive the code's prohibition on locating a child day care within 1,000 feet of another day care.

The variance matters because the city adopted a 1,000-foot separation amendment to the zoning code to avoid local oversaturation of day care facilities, city staff said. During the hearing staff noted a nearby day care at 5949 Farrington Road applied for a business license in October 2023; the applicant's representative said that business was not operating at the same time the Hillandale facility last operated as a licensed center.

Applicant Phil Ryan told the board the building sustained vandalism while vacant and that a tenant experienced a pandemic-era default that led to closure. "When the COVID 19 pandemic happened, we had a tenant that defaulted... it just shut down as a day care," Ryan said, adding that the prospective operator already runs three other centers and has a lease ready. Ryan said windows and HVAC units were replaced and that further exterior and interior repairs would be made before operation.

Board members asked about the timeline and conditions. Ryan said the intent is to restart the lease Oct. 1 and estimated Bright from the Start (the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning) licensing would take about 45 to 90 days, with many building improvements completed within 60 days. Director Cowie (staff) reaffirmed that "they will not receive a license until everything is approved within the City of Stonecrest and external... Bright from the Start," and that approval should be conditioned on staff recommendations.

The board approved V-25-006 with the following conditions as presented by staff: 1) make necessary interior and exterior upgrades to meet current building, safety and operational standards; 2) submit a detailed site plan showing building location, parking layout and outdoor amenities (play areas, fencing); 3) remove any items not appropriate for a licensed child day care; and 4) obtain a state license (Bright from the Start) before operating. The board record shows no public speakers in favor or opposition during the public hearing.

Discussion versus formal action: board members debated facts about whether the nearby day care had been operating when the Hillandale property ceased operation; staff said the nearby facility applied for a license in October 2023 and noted the 1,000-foot rule was a city council amendment intended to manage saturation rather than immediate safety concerns. The formal decision was approval of the variance with the four staff conditions; the board did not adopt additional conditions beyond those listed by staff.

The board did not specify a phased monitoring schedule in its motion; staff indicated ongoing permitting, inspections and the state licensing process would govern final authorization to open. The applicant and staff said some repairs already completed (windows, HVAC) and that additional work (roof, gutters, exterior paint, landscaping) is required prior to final licensing.

The action permits a licensed child day care to return to a building that historically housed one, subject to City of Stonecrest review, code compliance and Bright from the Start licensing. The board recorded the vote as unanimous in favor and the motion carried.