New Southington Daycare Site Faces Delay

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Plans for a new, relocated daycare facility in town hit a temporary road block recently when Southington zoning officials continued a public hearing so more information could be obtained.

C6 LLC, with a listed address of 445 N. Main St., Southington, is looking move the "My Little Rascals" daycare facility on North Main Street to a new site nearby at 36 Queen St., Southington.

"That facility just doesn't fit our needs anymore," said My Little Rascals Owner Matthew Pereira before a Southington Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing last week.

Southington residents Savino and Mirka Melluzo of Rockward Drive are listed as the owners of the property who would lease to Pereira's outfit.

The daycare would occupy one of three buildings on the property, which were built for use as office and medical office space.

According to C6's special permit application, the daycare facility would be able to serve 48 children up from 32 at the current site.

Pereira said at the May 16 PZC meeting that he plans to have 17 full and part-time employees at the site when the location is at full capacity.

The new site would be 2,880 square feet and also include a new playground area, according to Pereira.

Pereira said he needs to move his business, citing leasing issues with his current landlord, the increased capacity at the new site and the better playground site at the new location.

"I have looked all over Southington ... It provides the needs for all of us and a safe environment for the kids." Pereira said of the Queen Street property.

"If you compare our current property to this one, we're moving to the Taj Mahal."

But while zoning board members didn't receive any public testimony for or against the operation, they also said they didn't receive enough information with the application to make a decision.

A special permit is needed because the site is actually for office/medical office use and a daycare use would require zoning board approval.

PZC members said a traffic study was needed to determine if it would be dangerous to have cars in and out at that part of Queen Street.

In addition, they said they wanted to see more specific plans about the site, such as the flow of traffic inside the parcel, something necessary at a place where kids are dropped off and picked up.

"I definitely want to see the traffic flow. In looking at this little piece of those three buildings, I can't even see where you come off the main road," said Southington PZC Vice Chairman Robert Salko, who was subbing for Southington PZC Chairman Robert Hamersley, who wasn't available at the meeting.

"I'd like to see the arrows of what the traffic flow really is. A traffic study is vitally important."

Board members, subsequently, kept the hearing open until their next meeting June 6, whereby Pereira can come back with better plans and more detailed data about the site.

"When you come back, we'd really like to see that kind of detail," Salko said.

The situation was similar to one that happened earlier this year, when the PZC shot down plans for a day care in January, only to see the application resubmitted and approved in March.

For all the documents filed with the 36 Queen St. application, click on this link.

From March 14: 'Second Southington Daycare Project Passes PZC Muster'