Summerside to allow expansion of daycare size

From the Guardian:

SUMMERSIDE
— While unanimously supporting the need for daycare services within
Summerside, city council came within an eyelash of denying an
application to increase child services at two large daycare centres.
By a vote of 4-3 with one abstention, council approved a plan Monday
night to permit two non-conforming use daycare centres to increase
their clientele from 50 to 80 children.
Couns. Norma McColeman, Vance Bridges, Barry Chappell and Cory Thomas
voted in favour while Couns. Brent Gallant, Garth Lyle and Deputy Mayor
Bruce MacDougall voted against. Coun. Ron Dowling, because of a recent
affiliation with one of the daycare services, abstained from the vote.
The issue centred around two large daycare centres, Angel Keepers and
Rainbow Day Care, that are located in residential zones. The two
facilities were grandfathered as large daycare centres when zoning was
installed and allowed to continue as non-conforming uses. All other
large daycares are located within commercial or industrial zones.
Provincial guidelines allow large daycares to service up to 80 children while the city’s bylaw permits only 50.
Terry Gallant of Angel Keepers appeared before council Monday night,
saying they wished to be able to increase their enrolment to enhance
the business and provide a much-needed service for working parents
within the community.
Under the new bylaw passed by council, a large daycare may now service
from 16 to an unlimited number of children providing they meet all
provincial requirements for square footage, programs and staff.
Coun. Brent Gallant in objecting to the approval said the city has
literally taken away its own authority to regulate daycare centres and
handed it over to the province.
There was public opposition to the plan with some area residents
concerned about permitting unlimited numbers for a large daycare and
advised a cap be put on the number allowed.
“Council has had several meetings including a public meeting and it
came to fundamental issues,” Dowling said following the vote. “One is
for the opportunity for large daycares to grow and develop in
accordance to the province through licensing and also the needs and
concerns of the residents. It’s not uncommon for council to be split on
issues on that type of basis.”
This approval now gives all large daycares the go ahead to increase
numbers to 80 and allows small daycares to go from eight to 15 on
approval of compliance with provincial regulations.

How they voted: