City council supports expansion of daycare
The Record (New Westminster)
January 26, 2008 
By: Theresa McManus

The pleas of parents who've struggled to find quality daycare helped convince council to support a daycare expansion….

Lisa Spitale, director of development services, said the owner has made an effort to address neighbours' concerns by increasing the size of the parking area, increasing signage in the lane and having parents agree to park in off-street parking rather than the back lane.

She said staff support the application because there is a need for additional daycare spaces; the project will only result in an additional five vehicle trips in the drop-off times, so it's not a significant increase in traffic; the applicant has increased the parking provisions; and the project has significant support in the neighbourhood, other than among immediate neighbours….

Neighbour Alex … opposed the proposal because of concerns about traffic in the lane, which is narrow in certain areas. He feels this location isn't appropriate for a daycare because of its existing parking and traffic concerns.

Carla … said traffic in the lane has increased because of increased traffic on 10th Avenue. She fears the proposal would result in the opening of other home-based businesses, such as Bob's Tattoo Shop, in the neighbourhood.

"It is very site-specific to a daycare," Spitale said. "It is not permitted in the zoning bylaw."

Sarah Prosser is the mom of a 13-month-old girl who attends … Daycare. When she started making phone calls regarding daycare, she discovered that many places do not take children under two or three years of age.

As a resident of a Sapperton street that people use to access a local school, Prosser said she can relate to concerns of residents near the daycare.

She doubts, however, that five additional vehicles will make a great impact on traffic in the alley.

Tammy Theis's 15-month-old son attends … once a week as that's all the space that's currently available. She's only able to work part-time because she's been unable to find child care in her area.

"We are in a desperate need of quality child care," Theis said.

Jonina Campbell said she was able to find child care for her four-year-old son in New Westminster when she went back to work in September 2007 but was unable to find space anywhere for her one-year-old daughter. As a result, she spent anywhere between 45 minutes and two hours commuting to pick up her children, one in Richmond and one in New Westminster.

"It's a bit of a nightmare," she said about finding quality care….

Marjorie Staal, executive director of New Westminster Family Place, said she's heard from several moms who have had trouble getting child care because few spaces are available, particularly for children up to the age of three.

Staal urged council to rise above the issue of parking and consider the greater good. She suggested that locating the daycare beside an alley is a small price to pay for something that benefits the whole community.

Council unanimously approved the application that will allow the expansion of daycare spaces at….

John Stark, senior social planner, said the city is currently doing a review of its child care strategy. He said the city is three months into that process and expects it to continue for another five months.