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DreamSTEAM Academy presents daycare plan for 9310 Olive Boulevard; commission raises parking and circulation concerns
Summary
DreamSTEAM Academy proposed converting 9310 Olive Boulevard to a licensed daycare serving about 50 children; commissioners and staff welcomed the use but flagged tight internal circulation, limited turnaround options, peak‑hour drop‑off congestion and enforceability of private circulation controls as issues to resolve in conditional‑use and permitting steps.
Latoya Blair, owner of DreamSTEAM Academy, presented a proposal on June 6 to lease 9310 Olive Boulevard and operate a licensed preschool/daycare serving approximately 50 children. Staff noted the site is a narrow remnant parcel formerly occupied by a dance academy and that daycare aligns with the city’s comprehensive‑plan goals to re‑use vacant commercial space.
Blair described a program of staggered drop‑off windows, a STEM‑focused education model, a proposed playground location identified during a state licensing walkthrough, and an operational plan that would include state licensing inspections, fire and sanitation approvals and an Olivette business license. She said she hoped to apply for a special‑use permit and licensing and to open in October following approvals.
Commissioners and staff posed detailed questions about parking and internal circulation: whether existing stall counts meet code for staffing and drop‑off patterns, the lack of a dedicated turnaround (which can force three‑point turns or blocking), potential safety risks during morning peak windows and options to create more striped parking or a turnaround by reconfiguring adjacent lawn areas or negotiating cross‑access with neighboring properties. Staff said parking requirements primarily address staffing stalls and that drop‑off stacking and movement will require design solutions (striping, bollards, turnarounds or an agreement with adjacent properties).
Other operational details discussed included a proposed playground surface (Blair said she priced recycled‑tire fall protection), privacy fencing and bollards to separate play areas, hours of operation (Blair suggested 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and integrating with the school district for before/after care and summer STEAM programs. Commissioners encouraged further work with an architect/engineer to analyze circulation and suggested the applicant consider staggered drop‑off times and on‑site traffic attendants during peak periods.
Staff noted this location will require a conditional‑use or special‑use review and that details such as cross‑access easements, any striping or lot reconfiguration, and BMPs for permeable surface tradeoffs will be resolved through the permit and special‑use process.
"I am committed to education," Blair said; she outlined licensing steps and an enrollment plan aimed at opening in October if permit and licensing conditions are met.
