Commission approves Class 3 home-occupation permit for Preschool Place at 3103 S. Titus Lane

The Saratoga Springs Planning Commission on Jan. 9 approved a Class 3 home-occupation permit for "Preschool Place," a proposed in-home preschool at 3103 South Titus Lane, allowing up to 10 children at one time and operations Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Planner materials described the proposal as meeting code requirements for a Class 3 home occupation: no more than 10 children at one time, a maximum floor-area allocation under the 40 percent limit (staff reported roughly 19 percent of the home would be used), and two off-street parking spaces identified on the driveway. The staff report recommended approval with conditions; commissioners moved and seconded that recommendation and the motion passed on a voice vote.

Several commissioners voiced support for the small-business opportunity but raised concerns about pickup and drop-off staging on a noncorner lot with a two-car driveway. Commissioner Scott Hill asked that staff and the applicant ensure a plan is in place to avoid multiple cars queuing on the street: "I just wanna make sure that we don't have 5 cars out on the road waiting to pick kids up." Planner Sam Stow told the commission that staggered drop-off and pick-up times were expected to be part of the operator's plan and noted that the city could address complaints through code enforcement if conditions of approval were not met: "If they're not meeting their conditions of approval, we can enforce that through code enforcement." Commissioners recommended emphasizing staggered timing and safe driving reminders to the applicant as conditions of approval.

The applicant listed the maximum daily attendance as 20 children (two class sessions per day) with a maximum of 10 children on site at any one time. The commission’s action grants the home-occupation permit based on the findings and conditions in the staff report; enforcement of conditions is through standard code-enforcement channels.