On May 8, Fairburn council members unanimously adopted amendments that expand the areas in which day care centers can be located and provide clarification and a permit requirement for fencing.

Designed to make it possible to locate day care facilities in more appropriate areas of the city, the council voted to allow day care centers and facilities in areas zoned O&I (Office & Institutional), DC-2 (Downtown Commercial), C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) and C-3 (Planned Shopping Center). Prior to the decision, day care facilities could only operate in areas zoned C-2 (Highway Commercial), M-1 (Light Industrial) and M-2 (Heavy Industrial). The prohibition of having such facilities in the newly approved areas came when a day care center wanted to operate in an O&I district. City staff made the discovery that day care facilities had not been included in the approved type of businesses for O&I zoning. Planning & Zoning Coordinator Gail Denman suggested, and the Planning Commission voted to recommend, that O&I and other appropriate zoning districts be included in the provisions for day care facilities. Denman noted in an April 27 memo that even some churches were in violation of the zoning ordinance by providing day care services.

Included in the amendment were recommended design standards for day care facilities. Among those were play area, building setback and parking requirements and provisions related to drop-off and pick-up areas.

Also at the May 8 meeting, the council approved an amendment to the zoning ordinance pertaining to fence permits. City Administrator Jim Williams said the city was encountering violations because people are unaware that requirements are already in existence. While proposing that the fence requirements portion of the ordinance be completely rewritten, Williams suggested the ordinance be temporarily amended to require a permit for fences over 42 inches in height. The cost of the permit was set at $10.

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