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Gonzales council denies special-use permit for in-home daycare after neighbor objections
Summary
The Gonzales City Council voted unanimously to deny a special-use permit for an in-home child care at 784 Huey Andrew Road after neighbors cited homeowners association restrictions, traffic, parking and noise concerns; the applicant said the HOA language does not explicitly bar family child care homes.
The Gonzales City Council voted to deny a special-use permit for an in-home child care at 784 Huey Andrew Road after multiple neighbors opposed the application during a public hearing.
Natasha London, the applicant, told the council she reviewed the subdivision restrictions and said they "do not expressly mention daycare centers, family child care homes, or child care service," and asked the council to point to the specific provision that would bar a licensed family child care home operating with six children. Neighbors including Donna Claybair urged the council to reject the permit, arguing it would violate homeowners association rules and change the residential character. "We oppose this change due to several concerns," Claybair said, citing the HOA sections she read aloud and raising traffic, parking and noise worries.
Several residents and an HOA representative raised overlapping objections: potential commercial appearance, insufficient parking on the dead-end street, concerns about playground equipment and fencing that might alter neighborhood character, and uncertainty about whether a family child care home is considered a commercial use under the subdivision restrictions. Alexis Hayes noted the application originally described larger capacity and asked the council to clarify whether the application had been reduced to six children.
Councilman Boudreaux moved to deny Planning and Zoning's applicant; Councilman Williams seconded. The motion to deny passed on a roll-call vote with Councilwoman Cynthia Green James, Councilman Tyler Turner, Councilwoman Terry Lambert, Councilman Williams and Councilman Boudreaux recorded as voting yes.
The council did not adopt an alternative direction (such as deferring to staff for an interpretive ruling) during the meeting. The decision is a local land-use action and, as discussed in the hearing, may intersect with HOA declaration language and licensing rules administered outside the council's immediate ordinance-making process. The applicant and residents were invited to follow up with planning staff for procedural or jurisdictional clarifications.
