Committee advances NEST childcare concept to technical review after traffic concerns

A concept to convert the former Superior Ambulance building at 401 W. Sullivan Drive into a NEST childcare facility moved forward to technical review after a Sept. 17 presentation to the Committee of the Whole.

Michael Freiberger of New Look Development described plans for an approximately 11,725-square-foot building with about 11,300 square feet of outdoor playgrounds, 83 on-site parking spaces and a licensed capacity of roughly 209–210 children ranging from six weeks to five years. Hours of operation were described as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Freiberger said the operator expects 35 employees typically on-site and staggered drop-off that produces roughly 6–8 parents arriving at a time, up to 12–14 during peak windows.

Committee members focused on traffic stacking and safety at the Sullivan/Route 45 intersection during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup, noting existing congestion and the potential for backing up traffic. Trustees requested that staff and the applicant provide traffic counts and a targeted analysis to determine whether a full traffic study is needed or whether an analysis using existing counts and a gap analysis will suffice. Neighbors will be notified as part of the Planning & Zoning public‑hearing process.

Freiberger said all playground areas would be enclosed by fencing and that the proposal would retain the existing building footprint with modest exterior updates. The committee signaled consensus to proceed to technical review and then a Planning & Zoning public hearing; final board action would follow that process.

"We expect 6 to 8 parents dropping off at a time with a maximum of 12 to 14," the presenter said when describing staggered drop-offs, adding that families often have multiple children which reduces vehicle counts. The committee emphasized a deeper review of vehicular stacking and neighbor impacts before any formal approval."