York zoning board approves variance to allow Bread of Life daycare at 713 Manor Street

The City of York Zoning Board on Aug. 18, 2025, unanimously approved a variance to allow a childcare center at 713 Manor Street, where Faith Village Christian Center will host Bread of Life Daycare.

The variance, to permit a childcare use in the MUI-2 urban residential neighborhood district, was requested by Liz Townsend, pastor and property owner, and presented by Zipporah Leonard, the proposed operator. The planning staff recommended denial; the Planning Commission had unanimously approved the request at its Aug. 11 meeting. The board’s motion to approve was made and seconded from the bench and carried on a unanimous vote.

The application requests relief under the zoning code to allow a use “not provided for by right or special exception,” identified in materials as childcare center per section 13 o 4.01-3.06.001. The record before the board included the application, a April 14, 2025 zoning determination letter, deed excerpt, photographs of the property and a contractor quote for the work.

Townsend said the church would remain a house of worship and would “just allow a day care center to come into our facility to enhance that community.” Leonard described her background running Jack and Jill Nursery in Spring Garden Township and said she had applied for and been approved for an ECHO startup grant intended to expand high-quality early learning for children from low-income families. “I know that the children are our future,” Leonard told the board.

Yamiley Applewhite, a provider specialist with Community Connections for Children (the region’s early learning resource center), told the board she will assist the operator through the state licensing process and clarified state and city requirements. Applewhite said a certificate of occupancy from the city is only one step and must be followed by state licensing (a certificate of compliance). She summarized required staff clearances as FBI fingerprint, child-abuse, NSOR (sex/offender registry) and Pennsylvania state background checks, and said all staff must hold those clearances before they may work in the center.

Applewhite also explained the ECHO grant can cover much or all renovations, and that two businesses may occupy one site if they have separate entrances. Leonard and Townsend said the proposed daycare would use the lower level’s three rooms, have separate entrances from the church’s worship areas, and operate at hours that would not overlap with regular worship services. Leonard estimated capacity “no more than 20 to 25” children but said exact capacity will be set after an occupancy measurement.

Board members asked about parking, ADA access and the certificate-of-occupancy process. Leonard said the church has a parking lot and additional limited parking behind the building and described plans for staggered drop-off/pick-up to reduce congestion. She said she has applied to adapt the ECHO grant to add a ramp for accessibility and that emergency and ADA plans are part of the state licensing review.

Franklin Williams moved to approve the variance; the motion was seconded and the board voted yes unanimously. The board’s approval follows the Planning Commission’s recommendation and moves the proposal to the next steps: the city’s certificate-of-occupancy determination and the state childcare licensing process.

The approval does not itself grant state licensing or a certificate of compliance; those remain separate regulatory steps required before the daycare may open.