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Watertown board approves CUP for daycare at former industrial unit, applicant to pursue outdoor-play options
Summary
After tabling the item to secure applicant participation, the Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit Feb. 19 allowing a state-licensed daycare at 1018 6th Street SE to serve up to 16 children; board members voiced safety concerns about the industrial location and outdoor play arrangements.
The City of Watertown Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit Feb. 19 for a daycare at 1018 6th Street Southeast after the applicant joined the meeting by phone.
The board opened the item earlier in the meeting and initially tabled it when the applicant did not appear. Later, the applicant called in and identified herself as Sydney Parks. Parks told the board she expects to operate as a state-licensed facility with up to three to four additional staff and to serve up to 16 children per day.
Staff explained the property sits in the I-1 Light Industrial District and is a multi-tenant building that includes space used for storage and warehousing by nearby businesses such as Austin Engineering and RC Technologies. Parks said her daycare would occupy a unit owned by RC Technologies; some storage bays would remain with the tenant. She said parking would primarily be at the front of the building and that she is exploring options for limited outdoor play, including using a grass area at the adjacent Austin Engineering property or gating the south-side exit to create a small fenced area.
Board members raised safety concerns about placing a child-care operation in a light-industrial area with heavy-equipment storage and unimproved surfaces where outdoor access could necessitate walking across traffic or storage areas. Board member Speier said the lack of a directly adjacent green space and the potential for unsecured doors posed a “significant concern” for toddler safety; other members agreed the location was not ideal but noted the community needs more child-care capacity.
The motion to approve the CUP was made, seconded and passed by roll call with a unanimous vote. Staff told the board the use runs with the land and that any future outdoor-play alterations would be handled at the staff level where no additional conditional-use review is required.
What happens next: Parks will proceed with required licensing and work with the property owner and staff to finalize outdoor-play arrangements and any facility adjustments needed for licensing and safety.
