Policy seeks to lessen conflict
North Shore News
September 19, 2008 
By: Jessica Barrett

Despite a desperate need for more childcare spaces in the City of North Vancouver, council was divided Monday night over whether daycares operating out of homes in residential neighbourhoods should face new restrictions.

"If we put up more obstacles to daycare, we're going to have some real problems in our community, not just crying kids in the backyard," said Mayor Darrell Mussatto, toward the end of a lengthy debate on the second draft of the city's proposed childcare policy.

"What we have now is working for the most part and we should try to make it a little better," he added.

But some residents are not satisfied with current municipal bylaws that allow up to 20 children in daycares in residential neighbourhoods. There is also no required public consultation for those wanting to open a daycare.

…. a resident of …Street, lives a couple of houses away from…, a residential daycare with 16 kids. She said she was blindsided by the addition of a daycare to what she thought was a peaceful community.

The shrieks and cries of children playing in the daycare's yard disturb her elderly in-laws, …, and parents frequently block alleys and driveways when they drop off and pick up their kids.

According to …there should be mandatory public consultation for residential daycares and prompt mitigation of resulting noise and traffic concerns.

Among the suggestions outlined in the city's proposed child care policy are several options geared to help avoid neighbourhood conflict.

Coun. Barbara Perrault advocated required public consultation or even reducing the number of children allowed in residential daycares. "We need to have some kind of responsibility to the people that live in our neighbourhoods, who've been there, who've invested in it," said Perault….

Coun. Craig Keating vehemently opposed implementing any restrictions, such as mandatory consultation that could create delays or deter potential childcare providers from going to into business.

Keating proposed referring the policy to a post-election council, suggesting childcare should be a hot-button issue in the Nov. 15 municipal election.

His motion was defeated.

Coun. Bob Heywood's motion asking staff to supply further recommendations based on public input was passed….