Children's Land proposes 11-classroom daycare at 540 Cortland Drive; trustees press parking, traffic and safety plans

Children's Land, a Chicago‑based early childhood operator, told the Lake Zurich Board of Trustees it plans to adapt the former Acosta furniture store at 540 Cortland Drive into an 11‑classroom child day care that would occupy the building's first floor.

Alex Dichalski, the company's director of new business and development, said the operator would use about 16,000 square feet for educational space within a roughly 19,000‑square‑foot first floor, provide indoor and outdoor play areas, staff the center with 28 teachers and four support staff, and operate Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. He told trustees the company accepts state childcare subsidies and offers discounts for veterans and families in need.

Trustees pressed the presenter on parking and traffic. Dichalski cited section 9‑101 of the village zoning ordinance in describing a theoretical 74‑space requirement at full capacity (196 students) but said the operator expects typical utilization near 80 percent (about 157 children), requiring roughly 46 spaces under their method and that the site already contains 59 spaces. He said the proposal includes 12 dedicated drop‑off/pick‑up spaces and a staggered arrival window to avoid peak congestion.

Several trustees said the projected 7–10 a.m. drop‑off window likely understates peak congestion and urged the applicant to produce a traffic management plan for the Planning & Zoning hearing. Trustees also asked whether the second floor would be used (presenter said no), whether the exterior playground requires structural changes (presenter said an outdoor playground is planned on the south side but no exterior building modifications are proposed), and whether the facility will meet childcare building‑code requirements such as appropriately scaled classroom bathrooms.

Dichalski said Children's Land aligns its curriculum with Illinois benchmarks and partners with National Louis University on program development. He described the operator's all‑inclusive tuition model, use of management software (SpriteWheel) and market presence (12 locations serving about 1,600 children). He said Children's Land's prices are roughly 10–30 percent lower than major national chains.

This was a courtesy, non‑voting review; Sarosh (village staff) confirmed a formal special use permit application has been submitted and the proposal is scheduled for the May Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. The applicant will need a special use permit and final village board approval after the P&Z public hearing.