Planning panel recommends special use for childcare center at 850 East Main

The East Dundee Planning and Zoning Historic Commission unanimously recommended that the Village Board approve a special‑use permit to allow a child care facility at 850 East Main Street.

Ella Dewey, sworn in as the applicant’s representative for Global Power Construction, told the commission the project will be an interior remodel only — updating flooring, ceilings, lighting and finishes — and that no exterior changes are planned. "Everything needs to meet code as far as lighting, parking lot, fencing," Dewey said, adding the team would follow the police department’s recommendations included in the staff packet.

The commission noted the building previously housed a child care operation and reviewed packet figures for maximum capacity. Staff and commissioners cited packet enrollment numbers the applicant said reflect maximums: 16 infants, 27 one‑year‑olds, 32 two‑year‑olds and up to 40 children in older age groups; hours were listed as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Commissioners asked about traffic and sidewalks; staff said drop‑off and pick‑up at child care facilities typically produce short, parked transactions rather than long queuing, and the commission suggested the Village Board consider pedestrian connectivity as part of broader infrastructure planning.

After the public hearing was closed, the commission approved the findings of fact in the packet and moved to recommend approval of the special use with the police chief’s letter included in the Village Board memo. The recommendation passed on a 5–0 roll call (two commissioners absent). The Village Board is scheduled to receive the commission’s recommendation at its next meeting, tentatively set for May 4.

The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the Village Board will take the final vote on the special use and any related conditions.