Stockbridge planning commission forwards zoning change, approves Crossroads Church daycare permit subject to council action

The Village of Stockbridge Planning Commission voted Jan. 9 to forward a proposed amendment to the village municipal code to authorize Day Care Centers in the C-3 (Highway Commercial) zoning district and to grant Crossroads Church a special-use permit to operate a daycare at its C-3 property, subject to several conditions.

Commissioner Daryl Anderson, the planning commission chair, moved to forward the text amendment and to recommend that the Village Council add churches as a permitted use in C-3. Commissioner Jennifer Conant seconded the motion, which passed on a voice vote. Attorney John Gormley was directed to prepare the addendum and related documents reflecting the commission’s recommendation.

The commission then opened a separate public hearing on Crossroads Church’s special-use permit application for a daycare. With no members of the public present, commissioners discussed compliance with zoning standards and voted to grant the special-land-use permit. The motion to grant the permit was made by Chair Daryl Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Jennifer Conant; it passed by voice vote.

The commission’s approval for the special-use permit is explicitly conditional. The conditions specified by the commission are: the Village Council must approve amending the municipal code to allow churches in the C-3 district by right; the Village Council must approve adding Day Care Centers to the C-3 list of special uses; Crossroads Church must obtain and maintain all required local, county and state licenses; the development must obtain and finalize all required construction-code permits; the project must receive fire-department certification and approval, including a maximum-occupancy determination; and the first building inspection must occur within one year of the permit’s grant. The permit is null and void if these conditions are not met.

The commission noted no public opposition at the hearings. The commission also approved routine meeting business, including the Jan. 9 agenda and corrected minutes from Dec. 5, 2024. The planning commission scheduled a Jan. 23 townhall on zoning-ordinance updates and set its next regular meeting for Feb. 6, 2025.

Next steps: the Village Council must consider the planning commission’s recommended code amendments before the Crossroads Church special-use permit can take effect; the church must secure licensing, construction permits, and fire-department approval as required by the commission’s conditions.