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6.D. - Page 22 of 25 <br />The City is required to allow large family child care homes by -right in all dwellings in any zoning district to <br />comply with State law. This would also eliminate current City regulations that allow neighbors to request <br />a public hearing and limit the City's ability to regulate land use issues beyond building and fire safety. <br />The Planning Commission recommended amendments allowing large family child care homes by right in <br />all zoning districts in order to comply with State law. <br />Child Care Centers — Residential <br />A child care center is a facility that provides supervision, education, personal care, or assistance on a less <br />than a 24-hour basis to children under 18 years of age. Current regulations require a Use Permit and public <br />hearing to allow a child care center in conjunction with a school or church and do not allow child care <br />centers in lower density residential areas. A Use Permit is required for child care centers within the R-4 <br />and R-5 zoning districts. <br />A child care center may operate on a school or church site given its ability to utilize the parking and open <br />space of the facility. These centers typically operate as an accessory use to existing facilities and should <br />not require the additional analysis demanded from a Use Permit, including centers that operate <br />independently or during off -hours. Planning Commission recommended allowing child care centers by <br />right in conjunction with an existing school or church and to remove any requirements for a Use Permit. <br />The Planning Commission also expressed support for allowing child care centers in residential areas <br />without mandating operation with an adjoining school or church. Although schools and churches contain <br />existing facilities that are supportive to child care, they represent a proportionately small number of sites <br />across the City's residential areas. In many neighboring cities, existing residential structures may be <br />converted into child care centers. Residential structures comprise an overwhelming majority of sites <br />located in residential districts and child care centers best serve the community when located in proximity <br />to their users. Existing regulations, Section 31.10 of the Zoning Ordinance, require a Use Permit for the <br />change of a residential structure to a commercial use. <br />The Planning Commission recommended allowing child care centers in residential districts, including <br />converted residential structures, with a Use Permit and to allow child care centers by -right when in <br />conjunction with an adjoining school or church. <br />Child Care Centers — Commercial and Mixed -Use Zoning <br />Current regulations require a Use Permit and public hearing to allow a standalone child care center in a <br />commercial area. Child care centers are only allowed by right in commercial areas in conjunction with an <br />adjoining business and are required to only serve the children of employees of that adjoining business. <br />The mixed-use zoning districts contain inconsistent standards that either allow child care centers by right <br />or require a Use Permit regardless of the size of the facility. <br />Planning Commissioners expressed support for allowing standalone child care centers within commercial <br />and mixed-use areas by right. The 2010 General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) recommends <br />policies to encourage child care close to employment areas to offset the anticipated impacts created from <br />new development from the General Plan. General Plan Program BC -34 calls for updating Zoning Ordinance <br />to potentially allow small child care centers (up to 24 children) to be located in all residential zones. Staff <br />suggests this allowance could also be applied to commercial and mixed-use areas which allow more <br />Page 3 of 6 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore <br />262 <br />