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Committee discusses Kiddie Academy development and mall conversion; consensus to proceed under conditions
Summary
Committee reviewed a two‑building proposal at 300 Fairway Drive for an 11,000‑sq ft Kiddie Academy daycare plus a speculative swim‑school and signaled consensus to move ordinances forward; the committee also gave general support for a conversion certificate for Roots Dance Studio at Hawthorne Center with a planned program review in August.
During the Committee of the Whole the village reviewed two commercial planning matters: a two‑building development at 300 Fairway Drive proposed by Kiddie Academy and a conversion-certificate request for Roots Dance Studio at 660 Hawthorne Center.
Kiddie Academy representatives said the south building would be an 11,000‑square‑foot childcare facility operated by the developer, serving children from roughly 6 weeks to 12 years, while the west building is being built as a speculative swim‑school to be leased by a future tenant. The applicant described the Kiddie Academy franchise model and said their market analysis (a third‑party demographics study) found a high level of demand within a three‑mile radius.
Planning & Zoning recommended approval with multiple conditions. Staff summarized the key requirements the board should expect in the ordinance: the site must be maintained by a single entity with a covenant documenting common maintenance responsibilities; sight‑line and rooftop screening details must be provided with permit submittal; parking islands and landscape plans must be refined to ensure winter interest and light‑pole clearance; the swim school would be limited to 60 students at a time and parking stalls adjacent to the west building would be dedicated for swim‑school drop‑off/pick‑up; and daycare operators or any future change in operator would require board review.
The developer clarified site details: the parcel is approximately 3.13 acres with roughly two acres usable because of wetland/floodway constraints, and the proposed site provides 81 parking spaces (a combined total that staff said exceeds village requirements for the two uses). The applicant noted that state licensing for childcare (through DCFS) occurs after construction and issuance of a certificate of occupancy and that final interior configuration for any swim‑school tenant would be tailored to that operator once a lease is in place.
Committee members expressed general consensus to move forward with ordinances prepared consistent with Planning & Zoning recommendations, and staff said it would draft the ordinances as directed. For Roots Dance Studio, staff asked whether the committee favored issuing a conversion certificate; the committee indicated support and staff said a broader review of the conversion-certificate program is planned for August prior to a public hearing on the Roots special-use application (likely returning in September).
Next steps: staff will prepare ordinances for board consideration that incorporate the Planning & Zoning conditions for Kiddie Academy and will schedule the public‑hearing and special‑use steps for Roots following the program review.
