Anacortes expedites development of child care centers

Skagit Valley Herald - 7/14/2021

Jul. 14—ANACORTES — The Anacortes City Council voted unanimously Monday to remove an administrative hurdle in order to expedite the development of child care centers in the city's high-density residential neighborhoods.

The goal is to help address "a critical and urgent need for child care" that has only been made worse by the pandemic, a city document states.

The city's development code requires providers supervising more than 12 children or adults in a 24-hour period to obtain a Type 4 conditional use permit, which "can be very extensive, time consuming and expensive," City Director of Planning, Community and Economic Development Don Measamer said Monday.

The council passed an interim ordinance that makes child care centers of this size an outright permitted use.

The change applies to child care facilities in the city's residential high-density (R4) zone, which includes 10th to 29th streets from M to Commercial avenues, along with the area from 22nd to 38th streets from R to Q avenues.

The largely residential zone is well suited to child care facilities, and already permits uses such as assisted living facilities, a city document states.

The interim ordinance will be in place for six months unless extended. Meanwhile, the city will look into making a permanent code change, which would have to be passed by the Planning Commission and City Council.

Anacortes has capacity to accommodate 12% of the need for full-time, licensed child care, the ordinance states.

Measamer said the change could spur the development of more child care facilities throughout the city. He said two applicants — one proposing a child care center with 20 to 30 slots, and another proposing a school/child care center of roughly the same size — would benefit from the code change.

A public hearing was held on the measure Monday. No one testified.

— Reporter Jacqueline Allison: jallison@skagitpublishing.com, 360-416-2145, Twitter: @Jacqueline_SVH

___

Visit the Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.) at www.goskagit.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.