Planning commission backs code changes to expand daycare options, add adult daycare

Lisa Warner, assistant planner, presented code amendments aimed at easing barriers for local daycare providers and incorporating input from the Children’s Cabinet. Warner said the revisions update definitions, add an adult‑daycare definition, adjust use tables and application types, and add use standards including outdoor play hours and fencing; “the changes that were made open up more potential daycare options to better serve the community and accommodate flexible work schedules,” she said.

The amendments revise Title 32 sections on definitions, daycare use standards, parking ratios and use tables to allow daycare in additional zoning districts and to require appropriate application types (for example, conditional use permits in certain zones). Warner told commissioners that the proposed changes meet required findings and are consistent with Fernley’s master plan and state law, and staff recommended approval.

Commission discussion focused on whether existing providers would be grandfathered and how adult daycare is treated in different zones. Michelle Rambo, planning director, explained that adult daycare is handled differently in industrial zones—often as an accessory use for employers providing on‑site care—and that the proposed amendments add adult daycare across many zones with appropriate application types. Commissioner Wagner moved to recommend approval with modifications to treat adult daycare like child care centers in the listed zones; the motion passed 7–0.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Fernley City Council for final consideration.