Per the commission’s request at the December 17, 1996 meeting, Ms. Goodwin |
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provided background information on the restrictions limiting the location of child care |
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centers, comparing Rochester Hills standards to those of five surrounding communities |
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-- Troy, West Bloomfield, Sterling Heights, Novi, and Hamburg Township. To |
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summarize, all the surveyed communities appear to be concerned about adequate |
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outdoor play area and screening, and appropriate separation and screening of uses |
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from adjacent residential land uses. Ms. Goodwin summarized the requirements in |
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each community for minimum outdoor play area per child required, minimum total |
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outdoor play area, minimum indoor play area, additional side yard setback |
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requirement, and additional screening requirements. Ms. Goodwin distributed to |
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commissioners a chart depicting hypothetical child care centers in Rochester Hills with |
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various scenarios regarding lot size, building size, buffer area, parking requirements, |
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etc. Under the current ordinance approximately one-half acre -- 16,250 square feet |
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-- would be the minimum total land area excluding future right-of-ways, sidewalks, |
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and detention/retention areas required for development of a child care center in the |
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City of Rochester Hills, which staff believes is a little tight. A more realistic lot size |
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minimum would be closer to one acre. Ms. Goodwin would estimate that a good |
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number of vacant one-acre sites are still available in the city for potential day care |
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center development. There is no minimum lot width requirement, but the Planning |
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Commission could recommend one. Also, additional sites could become available for |
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such use through redevelopment of existing developed sites. |
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