By Adam Swift
Monday night, the city council sent an ordinance change that will increase the number of children allowed at home-based daycare businesses in the city to a subcommittee meeting.
The ordinance was first proposed last spring, but there were some concerns raised about swimming pools at the site of the businesses and some other minor issues.
The new ordinance brings the city in line with state regulations that allow up to 10 children per home-based business. For home-based businesses with seven or more children, there will need to be a minimum of two staff members on site.
The businesses will be allowed without a special permit in a number of zoning districts in Revere.
“I want to thank the council for reviving this motion to amend our zoning our zoning ordinance to allow for improved home-based childcare for Revere businesses and families,” said director of planning and community development Tom Skwierawski at a public hearing Monday night. “In short, what we are proposing is to remove the special permit requirement for home-based daycare to allow it by right in a series of neighborhoods throughout the city, and to increase the limit on the number of children, from four which is the current limit, to 10.”
The number of children allowed per business would put Revere in line with current state regulations.
Skwierawski said there were several changes in the ordinance since it was first proposed last April, including prohibiting pools at new home-based daycares in the city.
“There are a few providers in the city that have pools already, but they will be essentially grandfathered in,” he said.
The other major change also ties the limit on the number of children allowed per business to the state regulation, so that if the regulation changes, the city ordinance would stay in step.
A number of residents and daycare providers showed up in the council chambers Monday night to show their support for the ordinance change.
“We have some full-fledged support here,” said Skwierawski. “I appreciate you as a council bringing this to the forefront, and I appreciate everyone here tonight showing their support for this important work.”
Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri said the ordinance change was a huge victory for the city, and that he was proud of being able to help make it happen.
While the council still needs to take a final vote on the ordinance change after the April 8 zoning subcommittee meeting, Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto said the process had been streamlined and that it would not be tied up in committee like it was last year.
“This will go very quickly and will be very smooth, but by law, it has to go to committee,” said Zambuto.
