6.3. SR 09-17-2001l ver
13065 0r0n0 Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Item #
MEMORANDUM
Mayor and City Council
Michele McPherso~Director of Planning
September 17, 200 I
Case No. CU 01-29
Request by Patti Demarias-Kirscht to Operate a Preschool
at the Boys and Girls Club
6.3°
Request
The applicant requests that a conditional use permit be approved to operate a preschool at
the Boys and Girls Club.
Location.
905 6th Street
Attachments
· Location map
· Applicant's written narrative
· Site plan
Building floor plan
Zoning/Land Use
PUD, Planned Unit Development/OS, Open Space
Overview
The applicant is proposing to operate a twice-a-day preschool for children ages 3 -5 years
old as described in her attached written narrative. She will be licensed under the State of
Minnesota rules and will be allowed to teach a maximum of 20 children per session.
Phone: 763.441.7420
Fax: 763.441.7425
www. ci.elk-river, mn.us
Memo to Mayor and City Council/CU 01-29
September 17, 2001
Page 2
The site of the proposed preschool is the existing Boys and Girls Club facility located in the
southeast corner of Lions Park. The facility has a number of classrooms as well as other
facilities that would support a preschool operation.
The applicant intends to utilize the building during hours that typically do not have Boys and
Girls Club activities. Parents will be responsible for bringing the children to and from the
sessions. No buses will utilize the parking lot although the parking lot does support bus
traffic. There is adequate parking at the facility to support the pickup and drop-off of
children on a daily basis in addition to the Boys and Girls Club staff parking needs.
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission discussed whether there would be bus/car/pedestrian conflicts at
the 3:30 p.m. hour when parents would be picking up children and children from the
surrounding schools would be arriving for the Boys & Girls Club. Representatives from the
Boys and Girls Club confirmed that children attending the Club typically arrive on foot and
that no busses drop off children. There is a detached trail adjacent to the entry road that
would provide safe passage for the pedestrians.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the request to the
City Council with the conditions recommended by staff.
Recommendation
This proposal is a good fit for the use of the Boys and Girls Club. Staff and the Planning
Commission recommends that the City Council approve the request with the following
conditions:
I. THE APPLICANT RECEIVE STATE LICENSURE PRIOR TO
COMMENCEMENT OF THE PRESCHOOL OPERATION.
2. SlGNAGE WILL COMPLY WITH THE CITY OF ELK RIVER SIGN
CODE.
S:\PLANNING\MICHlvlC\CCREPRTS\CU01.29.DOC
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Case Number:
Location Map
CU 01-29
N
I've been teaching for the Head Start Program/ECSE in Elk River for the
past nine years. My education and experience is in Early Childhood.
My plans are to open and operate a private preschool, A Creative Child. I
will be licensed through the State of MN under Rule 3 requirements. A
Creative Child - Preschool will be located in the Boys and Girls Club of Elk
River. I will be servicing children fi.om three to five years old. My hours of
operation will be from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
with children. I will be licensed to take a maximum of 20 children per
session. My goal is to keep class size to 15- 17 children per session. I will
hire a co-teacher to work with me. The children will be in the building and
in session according to the Elk River District schedule. I will follow the
District calendar. I will not have children on Monday's as that will be a
teacher curriculum planning day and also leave oppommity for workshops,
seminars and for me to continue my psychology degree. The children will
be in session Tuesday through Friday.
Parents will be transporting their children to and fi'om school everyday. I
have no plans at this point to start a bus service. My goal is to serve the
community with a high quality program for the children and families,
emphasizing on creativity, arts and music. Family participation and
involvement will be strongly encouraged along with great emphasis on self-
esteem and socialization. I will have an individual curriculum plan and
goals set by teacher/parent communication to meet individual children's
needs.
The location and the classroom offer ample amount of space as well as a
safe environment for the children. The building itself is tucked away off the
main roads and offers easy and safe access to the families I will serve.
The facility itself offers everything Rule 3 requires for operation, including
many other rich contributing factors. The Boys and Girls Club of Elk River
has a gym, a kitchen, a lunch room, computer lab, library, bathrooms right
next to my classroom, running water in my classroom and an outside
playground.
I will not be serving meals at this point. I will serve an a.m. snack and a
p.m. snack as a part of my daily schedule. By utilizing this facility, it will
help keep capital cost and operational cost at an affordable rate which will
help A Creative Child- Preschool gain success and profit during it's early
stages of development.
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