Danbury zoning commission approves state-mandated changes to allow family and group child care in residential zones

The Danbury Zoning Commission voted unanimously on May 27 to amend the city’s zoning regulations so family child care and group child care are treated the same as single- and multifamily housing in residential zones.

The vote implements changes required by a 2023 Connecticut statute, Planning Director Waleed Al Bakri said. The commission approved a petition from Al Bakri to add consistent local definitions and list both family child care and group child care as permitted uses across residential zoning districts.

Al Bakri told the commission the state law provides two key definitions: "in your house, be it an apartment or a detached house, you can have up to 60 children, and this is considered family child care," and separate rules for group child care in stand‑alone buildings that typically serve 7 to 12 children. He said the new local language aligns the zoning code with the state statute and applies the same parking and site‑plan requirements to these child care uses as to housing.

"Any zoning regulation anywhere in Connecticut cannot prohibit family child care or group child care or treat a defunct from a single family or multifamily in any way," Al Bakri said, summarizing the state's direction and the rationale for the amendments.

During public comment, Councilman Rotello said he was "agnostic on the issue" but asked whether the changes would let large operators or chains open in residential neighborhoods without adequate local safeguards. "Can we wake up tomorrow and find that the house that I just spent $1,000,000 on is gonna have a day care next door?" he asked, citing concerns about traffic, density and safety around pools and hills.

Al Bakri responded that zoning must treat these uses like housing under state law but noted the state still issues licenses and can impose conditions; building and fire codes also remain enforceable at the local level. "The license from the state will have conditions," he said, and "what the state is saying is zoning regulations cannot take it any differently." He added that the city has to act now because of compliance timelines.

Commissioner Botello moved to approve the petition, saying the proposal supports the plan of conservation and development and keeps Danbury in compliance with state law; Commissioner Harrison seconded. The commission recorded affirmative votes and the chair declared the petition approved.

The approved petition follows a positive recommendation from the Planning Commission on May 22, 2025, which found the changes would support accessible and affordable child care, comply with the POCD, and not harm public health and safety. The public hearing on the petition opened and closed on May 27, 2025.

The commission also referred a separate rezoning petition from Blazeus Enterprises (Saw Mill Road) to the Planning Commission and set a public hearing for July 8, 2025.

The zoning commission did not specify an effective date for the zoning text amendments during the meeting; implementation steps will follow the usual city procedures for updating the regulations.