patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Zoners Deny Group Family Day Care

The Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board denied the request of Ethia Dulorie for a variance to increase the number of children she cares for.

 

The Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board denied the request of a variance for Ethia Dulorie of 1603 Silo Hill Lane in Breinigsville to increase the number of children she cares for.

Dulorie, and her attorney Dan O'Donnell, sought to obtain a variance Wednesday night for a Group Family Day Care facility. That would have allowed Dulorie to care for up to 12 unrelated children in her home, under state Department of Welfare regulations.

Currently, Dulorie cares for six children in her home under a commercial day care facility within township zoning requirements.

Dulorie has operated a commercial childcare facility in her Breinigsville home since November 2007, but said she has been looking to obtain an off-site facility for some time in order to expand her business.

"I don't intend to work from my home for the rest of my life," she said. "Any variance would be temporary."

However, neighbor and attorney James Kratz pointed out to the board that a Group Day Care Center with more than six children is not a permitted use in a residential zone under Upper Macungie zoning laws.

Neighbors Angela and Gary Connors pointed out the parking situation is dangerous at Dulorie's home and that many parents picking up and dropping off children speed through the neighborhood. The Connors' said many parents park in front of driveways pointing the wrong way of Silo Hill Lane.

Zoning Hearing Board members voted unanimously against granting the variance.

Duloire will continue to operate a daycare center in her home, consisting of no more than six children.

Related Topics: Ethia Dulorie, Group Day Care, and Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board

My 2 Cents

9:37 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012

She is a small business trying to grow. It's amazing to me how people want the country to bounce back but this is one small example of how we hold people back. If the reasons why she was denied were because the house was not adequately set up for that number of kids, or the adult vs. child ratio was not safe or anything to do with the child safety then I understand. However, the story reads that the problem is none of those, but rather she has an attorney for a neighbor that does not want it, speeding in the neighborhood and driveways being blocked are the reason. Seriously? Then cops can take care of 2 out of the 3 problems. There are families in this country with more than 6 children and they have neighbors that deal with it, it's just not a daycare where someone is making money. So, from what I read in this story there really isn't a good reason to deny her other than the current law says no. Did anyone check out her home to see if what she was asking would be okay and safe? It's up to the parents to decide if they want to take their children to a home vs. a facility and if they feel 12 is too many vs. the current number of 6. This story seems very petty and not much work was put into it by those who denied her.

Reply
Comment_arrow

PSD

5:05 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

not enough parking for parent pickups and dropoffs, not enough safety access, not enough square footage,

she has been "trying" to find on off site facility since 2007? B.S., during that time there have been massive rental vacancies due to the economy, she wants to run a business with no overhead

Elsa

3:43 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

They give a variance to any warehouse truck driving organization that constantly want to change the square footage of this and that and make our highways and streets more dangerous. Wonder why that is?

Reply
Comment_arrow

PSD

5:03 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

dont like trucks? stop buying everything right now, everything you buy comes by tractor trailer at some point in its journey

Elsa

6:02 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

No I don't like when they roam around looking for alternate routes. Umt gives variances for everything so this is truly abnormal. PSD. It is not whether I like trucks or not. It is the danger associated with them. Pay attention to
The traffic studies

Reply

Nat

12:25 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012

PSD - You need to take a seat back and learned to become entreprenuer. This is the future to create business. Thank God for people that think outside the box.:)

Reply

Leave a comment