Some small child-care centres in the city are being operated by someone other than the principal owner/resident of the home, according to the city's bylaw officers and Interior Health.
As a result, the city will amend its zoning bylaw to require the operator to reside in the home, and will also reduce the parking and loading space requirements. The proposed changes, which received preliminary approval from city council on Monday, will go to a public hearing on March 12.
The Community Care and Assisted Living Act stipulates that a minor care centre must be operated by the resident and have fewer than eight children, council was told.
"The current parking regulations are excessive considering the number of children is limited and few to no employees are anticipated to park at the site," said land-use planner Birte Decloux.
Those are often the factor that prohibits a retrofit even though demand for child care in Kelowna exceeds the supply of new day-care centres.
The current requirement is a minimum of two parking spaces for residents, four for the daycare and three loading spaces, which is "disproportionately high, onerous and restrictive." As well, it typically requires a zoning variance permit, said Decloux, proposing the minimum number of parking spaces be reduced to four and loading spaces to zero.