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Proposed children's center zoning presentation
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Proposed New Children’s Center in Evanston
Presented to:
City of Evanston
Zoning Board of Appeals
January 3, 2012
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Bright Horizons Presentation Team
Debbie Brown Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc.
Vice President, Regional Development
Phone: 425-576-5333
Email: [email protected]
Steve Geller Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc.
Director of Design & Preconstruction
Phone: 617-673-8730 Email: [email protected]
Robert Ewald Construction Consulting Service, Inc.
Project Manager
Phone: 815-263-3350 Email: [email protected]
Patricia Schlauder CB Richard Ellis
General Manager, Orrington Plaza
Phone: 847-733-7200
Email: [email protected]
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Program Plan
Capacity and Services
‒ Full and part-time schedules offered; phased enrollment process
‒ Infant/toddler care expanded given demand/shortages in the community
‒ School-age care may be offered during school breaks, if demand dictates
‒ Enrichment programs offered - art, music, and movement classes
‒ Full service kitchen and meal service provided
Hours of Operation
‒ Monday - Friday
‒ 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
‒ Closed on federal
holidays
Age Group Capacity Staff to
Child Ratios Number of
Classrooms
Infants Age 6 weeks – 12 months
48 1:4 6 rooms of 8 children
Toddlers Age 1 – 2 years
50 1:5 5 rooms of 10 children
Twos Age 2 – 3 years
70 1:7 5 rooms of 14 children
Preschool Age 3 – 4 years
80 1:10 4 rooms of 20 children
Jr. K / Kindergarten Age 4 – 5 years
60 1:10 3 rooms of 20 children
Total 308 Children / 23 Classrooms
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Ground Floor Site Plan
• Infant/toddler age classrooms and play area will be located on the ground level
• Designated drop-off parking shown in surface lot adjacent the entrance
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Roof Top Site Plan
• Elevator and stair access to be extended to the roof top
• Children’s toilet and toy storage area incorporated into elevator structure
• Play area has been fit in and around existing HVAC units
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Conceptual Rendering
• Awning, fencing and landscaping to be further detailed in final design
• Kite structures included for shade and wind reduction
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Special Use Criteria
To recommend approval for a special use, the ZBA must find that the proposed
special use meets all of the following criteria:
A. Is one of the listed special uses for the zoning district in which the property lies;
B. Complies with the purposes and policies of the Comprehensive General Plan and the
Zoning Ordinance;
C. Does not cause a negative cumulative effect in combination with existing special uses or
as a category of land use;
D. Does not interfere with or diminish the value of property in the neighborhood;
E. Is adequately served by public facilities and services;
F. Does not cause undue traffic congestion;
G. Preserves significant historical and architectural resources;
H. Preserves significant natural and environmental resources; and
I. Complies with all other applicable regulations.
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Special Use Compliance - Criteria A
Our project is located in the D3 Downtown
Core Development District
‒ Daycare centers are one of the listed
special uses allowed in this district
‒ The district is also intended to encourage a
mix of office, retail and residential uses
All of the intended uses of the District will be
further served by having an expanded supply
of early education and child care services
available in close proximity
R1 R2 R3 R4
Daycare center – child 8 S S S S
PERMITTED AND SPECIAL USES
P=Permitted Use; S=Special Use; __=Not Permitted
Is child care one of the listed special uses for the zoning district in which the
property lies?
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Special Use Compliance – Criteria B
Complies with the purposes and policies of The Comprehensive General Plan?
I. Land Use
• As Evanston’s development and economic growth continues, having an adequate supply of
child care services will enable the city to promote the growth, retention, expansion, and
attraction of employers and businesses to the area
• Access to child care is also a consideration among working families when making housing
and employment decisions
• Child care is essential to the recruitment and retention efforts of Evanston’s institutions and
employers
‒ The University will offer priority access for 60 children for their faculty, staff and students
‒ Community families now on the Hospital’s wait list will have an additional child care option
II. Public Facilities
• Our project will include a complete modernization of 1629 Orrington Avenue
‒ Construction costs estimated at $5 million
• New job opportunities created
‒ 58 admin and teaching positions with full benefits offered
‒ During construction, many trade labor jobs will be made available
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Special Use Compliance – Criteria B (cont.)
Complies with the purposes and policies of The Comprehensive General Plan?
III. Circulation
• Conveniently located child care helps efficiently link neighborhoods to the community
‒ Also helps reduce the number of trips, shortens commute times, and increases use of public
transportation among working families
• Access to the new center will be expedited during peak commute hours with dedicated
“drop-off and pick-up” parking stalls provided for parents
‒ During “non-peak” hours, these parking stalls will be available for public use
• Child care staff will be incented to use public transportation but dedicated parking will also
be offered in the building garage, separate from parent parking, for those that opt to drive
IV. Community Environment
• The Orrington Plaza building has been vacant for many years so a complete renovation of
the space will be an esthetically-welcomed improvement
• Locating a portion of the required play area on the roof top helps preserve open space and
landscaping of the downtown area
‒ Additional planter boxes with trees/scrubs will be added to enhance the play areas
• Our design will incorporate sustainable building materials and will meet or exceed the City
of Evanston's Green Initiative Program
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Special Use Compliance - Criteria C
Does not cause a negative cumulative effect in combination with existing special uses?
Demand for child care services exceeds current supply ‒ Majority of local centers reported no vacancies and long wait lists for all ages
Crème de la Crème All full few infant spaces available
Total Child Preschool All full nothing until summer 2012
YMCA All full one year waitlist
Knowledge Beginings All full infant space available in January
Chiaraville Montessori All full few twos spaces open in January
Childtime Openings available accepting all ages
Kindercare Openings available only 1 infant space available
Child Care Vacancy Inquiries - November 21, 2011
‒ Hospital center has long wait
list with demand across all
ages
‒ Demand for child care will only
increase as Evanston
experiences more residential
growth and economic recovery
On-site Off-site
Infants 27 24 3 0
Toddlers 51 14 0 37
Twos 36 13 2 21
Preschool/JK 74 28 6 40
Total 188 79 11 98
Bright Horizons at NorthShore's Evanston Hospital - Wait List Detail
Northshore EmployeesAge Group
Total
WaitlistCommunity
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Drivers of the Child Care Shortage
What accounts for the shortage of licensed child care especially for infants and toddlers?
Developing a new child care center requires a sizable up-front capital investment that
is a barrier for many operators
‒ Facility requirements are extensive making construction expensive
‒ Start-up costs are high given initial operating and labor inefficiencies
Child care is a labor intensive business with slim operating margins
‒ Infant care costs 3 times more than preschool care
‒ Operating a higher quality program often entails additional labor costs due to
increased staffing and higher qualifications and wages
Child care centers operate under a fixed capacity so even the most successful
programs are not easily “scalable”
Child care tuitions have a ceiling due to parent-affordability and the availability of
other alternatives i.e. not working, informal care arrangements, etc.
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Special Use Compliance - Criteria D
Does not interfere with or diminish the value of property in the neighborhood?
The Orrington site has been idle and vacant for many years
‒ Having the empty building transformed into a vibrant community amenity will bring new
energy and economic opportunity to this parcel of the downtown core
‒ The renovation of the space will be a welcomed improvement to neighboring tenants
‒ Revitalization of this building may spark new business development interests in this area
‒ With the expanded availability of child care services, new employers and businesses may
see Evanston offering them an advantage over another community
‒ Downtown retailers, banks, grocers and restaurants are all likely to benefit economically
from increased foot traffic and exposure provided by the many families attending the new
child care program
‒ As Evanston’s development and economic growth continues, having access to an adequate
supply of early education and child care services will be an attraction for young families with
children in much the same way as elementary schools, parks, libraries, etc.
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Special Use Compliance - Criteria E
Project is located in the downtown core with easy
access provided to all public facilities and services
‒ Working parents will frequent local retailers, banks,
restaurants, etc. given the proximity and
convenience to the child care center
‒ Children enrolled at the center will be visible in the
community with visits to the library, grocery store,
take walks to public areas, etc.
Is adequately served by public facilities and services?
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Special Use Compliance - Criteria G, H, and I
G) Preserves significant historical and architectural resources?
Project is not located in a historical district
H) Preserves significant natural and environmental resources?
Project will not impact or reduce any natural elements or
landscaping
I) Complies with all other applicable regulations?
To the best of our knowledge, the project is in full compliance
with all regulations
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Summary
Approval of our project will enable the city
to expand the community’s current supply
of early education and child care services
With a stronger supply of child care, the
Evanston community will be a compelling
location for new businesses and young
working families with children.
Our project is aligned with various goals
and objectives outlined in The
Comprehensive General Plan
Our program will add jobs to the city’s
current employment base
We will help local businesses and
institutions attract and retain best-in-class
employees
In keeping with our mission, we will
contribute to the economic and civic fabric
of the greater Evanston community
