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Trustees refer Crate & Barrel plan for an on-site child care center to Plan Commission
Summary
The board agreed to send Crate and Barrel Holdings' preliminary request to add a 63-child daycare at 1250 Techny Road to the Planning Commission for public hearing and review.
The Village of Northbrook Board of Trustees voted to refer a preliminary request from Crate and Barrel Holdings to the Planning Commission seeking a special-permit modification and site-plan approval to repurpose 6,200 square feet of office space at 1250 Techny Road into an on-site child care center.
Staff said the proposed facility would serve children ages 0 to 5, have capacity for 63 children, operate Monday through Friday roughly 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and employ 14 staff. Drop-off and pick-up would take place inside the building and 21 parking spaces would be designated for the child care use. An outdoor fenced play area is also proposed. The plan is to convert interior office space; staff said the request would not create a parking shortfall for existing site uses.
Why it matters: Trustees described on-site child care as a valuable employee benefit and welcomed private investment in local child care capacity. Several trustees noted regional shortages of child care and said they were supportive of the project moving forward to the public hearing stage. Trustees asked staff to consider operational limits and sustainability measures as the proposal advances.
Board discussion: Trustees asked whether the center would primarily serve Crate and Barrel employees; staff said the employer would prioritize employees but left open the possibility of serving non-employees if capacity allows. Trustees also asked about tree preservation for the outdoor play area; staff said a later phase of review will clarify which trees can be preserved, and that heritage trees appear not to be in the play area. One trustee asked whether the nearby child care operator was concerned about competition; staff reported the nearby operator encouraged Crate and Barrel to apply, citing an areawide shortage of child care.
Action: The board unanimously approved a motion to refer the preliminary request to the Plan Commission and indicated support for staff's recommendation that Plan Commission conduct a public hearing and provide a recommendation back to the board.
Next steps: The applicant will submit detailed plans for Plan Commission review, including tree and site design, operational conditions, and any state licensing requirements.
