Commission approves home daycare permit for Chapelwood Drive with morning-arrival limit

The Brandon Planning & Zoning Commission on May 7 approved a home-occupation permit for a Chapelwood Drive resident to operate a home daycare that will give priority to children with disabilities.

Christy Katsmoker, who identified herself as the applicant and said she is a registered nurse with over 20 years' experience caring for children with disabilities, told commissioners she has already provided respite care for local families and is in the process of registering with the state. Katsmoker said her advertised hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but most parents who contacted her said they would not drop off before 7 a.m. or pick up after 4 p.m.

Commissioners discussed neighborhood impacts and asked staff to include a condition to reduce outdoor disturbance. Commissioner Michael (last name not stated) moved to approve the application with the condition that any children arriving before 8:00 a.m. be kept indoors until 8:00 a.m.; the motion was seconded and carried. The permit was approved with that explicit operating condition.

The commission's action allows the applicant to proceed with local permitting; Katsmoker said she will complete state registration and comply with the condition limiting early outdoor activity. The commission did not set a limit on total enrollment in the meeting record but asked staff to ensure the permit is processed in line with city requirements.

Next steps: the applicant will finalize state registration and submit any necessary local permits and site documentation to city staff for administrative processing.