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Joliet Zoning Board Approves Children of America Daycare at 580 Caton Farm Road
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Summary
The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special use permit allowing a Children of America daycare at 580 Caton Farm Road (a 10,000 sq ft center with 190-child capacity), contingent on later Plan Commission and City Council approvals. Neighbors raised traffic, safety and drainage concerns during public comment.
The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals voted to approve a special use permit for a Children of America daycare at 580 Caton Farm Road on Nov. 20, 2025. The board recorded five votes in favor and one opposed; the decision is contingent on subsequent Plan Commission and City Council approvals for the overall development.
Staff told the board the proposal is part of a planned 5-acre commercial subdivision that would create three buildable lots. The proposed daycare (Lot 1) would include a 10,000-square-foot building, a 5,000-square-foot fenced outdoor play area, about 60 surface parking spaces, and proposed hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Staff said the facility would have a maximum licensed capacity of 190 children and would employ roughly 25 people at full capacity. Staff recommended approval, subject to conditions including: a minimum of 75 square feet of outdoor play area per child, a minimum 3-foot fence around the play area, and a requirement that the special use lapse if a building permit or certificate of occupancy is not obtained within 180 days.
Residents who live near the site urged the board to deny or slow the project. Kathleen Hampton, who lives on Rosewind Drive, said she was surprised by the 190-child capacity and questioned whether parking and local streets could safely handle the traffic, particularly during school drop-off and pick-up. A nearby resident who identified herself as a teacher, Lisa Will Heights, raised similar safety concerns and said a child had recently been struck in the neighborhood. Another resident, Jessica, said the lack of sidewalks and existing congestion created hazards for children who walk to school.
Eric Bernacki, who said he serves on the Kendall County Regional Plan Commission and the HOA but was speaking as a resident, urged the board to consider the broader site plan and the 2004 subarea plan that originally called for residential uses in this part of the corridor. He argued the overall layout, access points and drainage need closer review at subsequent hearings.
Nathaniel Washburn, representing the applicant (KGG LLC / Project Development Group LLC), and Bill Caton, who represents the sellers and the developer, told the board they had worked on the site for years and that Children of America conducted its own market analysis. They said the nearest comparable corporate-style childcare center is about five miles away, that the site design meets parking and code requirements and that no variances are being sought. Washburn said the developer will extend a sidewalk across the property frontage, build a three-lane boulevard at the city's request to manage access, and use stormwater detention to prevent any net increase in runoff from the site.
After closing public testimony, the board voted on the special use permit. Roll-call votes were recorded as follows: Mister Nochtree 'Aye; Miss Rohrer 'Aye; Miss Schmigg 'Nay; Mister Stiff 'Aye; Mister Bias 'Aye; Chairman Hennessy 'Aye. The chair clarified that the ZBA approval would hold only if the Plan Commission and City Council subsequently approved the related annexation, zoning and planned unit development for the project.
Votes at a glance: the board previously approved the Oct. 16, 2025 meeting minutes (one abstention noted earlier in the roll call), tabled petition 202551/202552 (self-storage at 1701 Drowden Road) to the Dec. 18 ZBA meeting, and deferred petition 202554 (signage at 2219 West Jefferson Street) indefinitely.
What happens next: the planned unit development, annexation and zoning classification for the full subdivision were scheduled for the Joliet Plan Commission on Nov. 20; those hearings will include site-plan and stormwater engineering review. If the Plan Commission and City Council grant their approvals, the ZBA's special-use approval would allow Children of America to operate the daycare at the site under the conditions recorded by staff.
Supporters and opponents should expect further opportunities to comment at the Plan Commission and City Council hearings, where details of circulation, access points, stormwater detention, and specific tenant types will be addressed.
