Fuquay Varina board approves special-use permit to expand home daycare at 1300 Ivy Grove Court

The Fuquay Varina Board of Adjustment voted to approve a special-use permit (BOASUP2025-02) that allows an in-home daycare at 1300 Ivy Grove Court to increase its authorized capacity. The petitioner, Katrina Bridal, asked the board for permission to operate a large in-home daycare, explaining the business meets state licensing and local zoning requirements and that the property has a fenced backyard, four off-street parking spaces, and no structural changes are proposed.

The petition drew questions from multiple board members about parking, pickup and drop-off procedures, and whether parked cars on the street could impede emergency vehicles. One board member warned, “If they park in the street, that presents a fire hazard,” emphasizing concern about narrow subdivision streets and simultaneous arrivals. Bridal responded that current operations involve five children under the existing small-home permit, that parents generally drop off in two minutes and pick up in five, and that she expects to operate nearer to eight children initially rather than the full ten for which she sought authorization. She told the board the daycare is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that parents typically do not enter the home during pickup and drop-off.

Board members and staff noted the homeowner association had approved the proposal and that in-home daycares are an allowed use in the residential zoning district if they meet the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) requirements. After discussion, the board moved through and approved the required findings of fact — that the use would not materially endanger public health or safety, that it meets required conditions and specifications, that it would not substantially injure adjoining property values, and that the location is in harmony with the neighborhood and the town’s plan of development. A motion to approve BOASUP2025-02 as presented, with the terms and conditions in the applicant’s submission and site exhibit, was carried on a voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.

The permit approval allows the petitioner the opportunity to operate up to the requested capacity under the terms of the approval and applicable state childcare licensing and local zoning requirements. The board recorded that evidence and correspondence presented at the hearing become part of the town record. The next procedural step noted in the meeting was that staff would finalize administrative documentation of the permit and conditions.

Note: The transcript includes inconsistent spellings of the petitioner’s name (appearing as both “Katerina Bridal” in staff remarks and “Katrina Bridal” when the petitioner spoke); the petitioner introduced herself as “Katrina Bridal” on the record.