Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Daycare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves Walnut Grove daycare rezoning but removes internally illuminated monument sign variance, requires turn lane
Summary
The Midlothian City Council approved rezoning and a specific-use permit for a proposed 11,274 ft² daycare on Walnut Grove Road while striking a variance for an internally illuminated monument sign and requiring a southbound turn lane before issuing a certificate of occupancy to address neighborhood light and traffic concerns.
The Midlothian City Council on Feb. 10 approved a rezoning and specific-use permit for an 11,274-square-foot daycare proposed on Walnut Grove Road after members voted to remove a requested variance for an internally illuminated monument sign and added a condition that a southbound left-turn lane be constructed before issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Staff presented the request as a rezoning of about 2.341 acres from agricultural to general professional with a specific-use permit for the daycare; the proposal included two variances — one for driveway spacing on a major thoroughfare and another for an internally illuminated monument sign. Marion Spencer, assistant director of planning, told the council the site would include a 11,274-square-foot facility and that staff and engineering reviewed the traffic analysis and recommended approval subject to conditions.
Resident Jack Freeman urged caution about morning drop-off congestion, warning of heavy queuing. “If the day care is gonna have 200 kids, prime time is 06:45 to 07:15 in the morning…roughly 150 cars,” Freeman said, describing how even modest drop-off times can create long queues and block adjacent lanes.
The applicant and project engineer pushed back on the worst-case forecast, saying the traffic-impact analysis shows arrivals spread over a longer interval. Drew Williams, representing the applicant, said, “We expect this to be more spread out…we did a TIA analysis, came to this conclusion.” The project’s engineer, Q Kim, noted his firm operates multiple daycares and that design features allow pull-through stacking and staggered arrival times.
Council members focused considerable attention on the proposed monument sign’s brightness and its effect on nearby residents. Councilman Ross asked about the measurement of brightness and whether standards exist; staff said they do not have a base standard in the zoning code for internally illuminated signs and that limits have been put into individual ordinances when approved.
Citing neighborhood character and potential light pollution, Councilman Weaver moved to approve the request but remove the variance for the internally illuminated monument sign and the message-board provision, and to incorporate the planning commission’s requirement that the left-turn lane be constructed prior to occupancy. The motion passed 6-0.
What happens next: The ordinance will be finalized with council’s modifications; building permits and the required TIA follow usual development review steps, and the developer must construct the southbound turn lane before the city issues a certificate of occupancy.
