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Zoning board approves daycare at 1932 Essington Road with reduced play‑area setback
Summary
The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special use permit and a variation allowing an outdoor play area 20 feet from a residential zoning district for a proposed daycare at 1932 Essington Road; the operator must obtain state licensing and meet building and life‑safety requirements.
The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4‑0 to approve a special use permit and a variation for a daycare at 1932 Essington Road, allowing the proposed outdoor play area to be 20 feet from an adjacent residential zoning district instead of the 40 feet required by ordinance. Applicant Maria Coleman plans to remodel the larger tenant space at the site and operate a center for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years; final licensing must be obtained from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) before occupancy.
Staff told the board the 38,000‑square‑foot lot contains a 6,500‑square‑foot commercial building; the proposed tenant space is about 5,200 square feet and the fenced outdoor play area would be roughly 3,500 square feet. Staff recommended approval, saying a 40‑foot setback would create an impractical play‑area shape and that commercial and residential uses have coexisted in the area for decades.
Maria Coleman, who told the board she has 28 years of experience in early childhood education and is currently licensed to run a group home daycare for 14 children, said she is working with an architect, building permitting staff and the fire marshal to meet DCFS and life‑safety requirements. Coleman said, “Competition is part of the American way,” when responding to a neighbor’s question about proximity to an existing center.
A resident, Stephanie Collum, who said she operates a childcare center nearby, raised safety and licensing concerns, including how the play area would be divided for infants and school‑age children and whether the proposed interior layout would meet life‑safety codes requiring two means of egress for certain rooms. Coleman and staff said the applicant is coordinating plans and reviews with the fire marshal and building permitting staff.
Chairman Hennessy cast the fourth aye and said he believed many concerns were speculative and that state requirements would govern final compliance. The board approved the special use permit with conditions that the outdoor play area provide at least 75 square feet per child, be enclosed by a fence at least 3 feet high, that permits and a certificate of occupancy be obtained within 180 days, and that the special use be subject to rehearing and possible revocation if the property becomes a public nuisance. The applicant will proceed with DCFS licensing and the city building‑permit process before opening.
