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Commission approves special exception for home-based daycare at Jeff Ryan Drive with fenced play-area condition
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend approval of Special Exception SE2602 to allow a home-based childcare at 11001 Jeff Ryan Drive with modified Condition D: the applicant may enroll up to 12 children and must install a second permanent fenced play area per the applicant's diagram, to be reviewed and approved by zoning staff prior to installation.
The Herndon Planning Commission on May 18 recommended approval of Special Exception SE2602 to permit a home‑based childcare at 11001 Jeff Ryan Drive, adopting an amended version of the staff’s Resolution B that adds specific, staff‑reviewed fencing requirements for the on‑site play area.
Staff explained the application seeks deviations from by‑right home‑business standards: an increase in daily children from 7 to 12, an enlargement of the home‑business area to about 1,103 square feet (above the typical 1,000‑sq‑ft cap), and authorization for up to two off‑site employees. Staff noted prior concerns about a damaged perimeter fence (since repaired) and recommended approval with an added condition to enhance separation from traffic near the nearby Herndon Parkway and Sterling Road intersection.
The applicant described longstanding safety concerns at that intersection, requested clear written specifications for the required fencing, and said she has operated a daycare in Sterling for seven years. Commissioners, staff and a technical commenter discussed topography, guardrail placement and possible fence layouts; staff showed a diagram illustrating a minimum fenced rectangle (the staff demonstration indicated approximately 900 sq ft minimum based on required 75 sq ft per child) and reiterated that chain‑link fencing is not allowed and fencing must be permanently installed (posts set in ground) with a minimum 4‑foot height.
Commissioner Munt (mover) proposed approval of Resolution B as amended: revise paragraph D to read that the on‑site play area shall have a second permanent fence in accordance with the applicant’s orange‑diagram and reviewed and approved by the zoning administrator prior to installation. The motion was seconded. The clerk recorded a roll‑call vote of 6‑1 in favor; Chair Romeo cast the lone no vote.
The approval increases the permitted number of children to 12 and requires staff review of the final fence configuration before installation; staff also noted that routine inspections of home‑based daycares are complaint‑driven rather than on a scheduled quarterly basis.
