Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Commission begins review of childcare zoning changes after county foundation audit
Summary
Planning staff presented recommended zoning-text amendments from a Branch County Community Foundation–funded audit to clarify how family, group and center childcare uses are allowed; commissioners discussed fencing, parking, industrial districts and next steps and directed staff to refine language.
Planning staff opened a discussion on proposed zoning-text amendments intended to make Coldwater’s rules for family child care homes, group child care homes and child care centers consistent with state regulations and easier for prospective providers to understand.
“Family child care homes, by state statute, we have to permit in any residence within the city,” planning staff said, and presented recommended use-matrix changes and definition updates produced by McKenna through a grant to the Branch County Community Foundation. Staff said the recommended text aligns local definitions with the state Child Care Licensing Act (PA 116 of 1972) and with the Child Care Licensing Bureau’s (CCLB) rules, and included a clause stating nothing in the local ordinance shall prohibit an eligible licensed facility from increasing capacity as authorized by state law.
Erica Hemminger, executive director of the Branch County Community Foundation, described the regional effort behind the work,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
