Permits Expected Soon For New Early Childhood Ed Center In Vernon

VERNON, CT— Construction permits for a new daycare and early childhood educational facility on Route 83 in Vernon are expected to be submitted as early as this week, town officials said.

The latest location of The Learning Experience chain will eventually occupy 420 Talcottville Road, the local address for the 2.9-acre parcel on Route 83. It sits adjacent to a Dollar General Store.

Vernon Community and Economic Development Coordinator Shaun Gately said grading work is just about finished, which paves the way for construction-related permits to be taken out.

The original concept for developing the land depicted two buildings, but, for now, the plans call for the fashioning of just one 5,000-square-foot structure, Gately said. The land has been cleared periodically over the past several years for aesthetic reasons, but this time, the work is serious, Gately said.

According to The Learning Experience website, the facilities "rely on innovative design to make TLE Centers so vibrant and joyful." That includes a "large cast of joyous, colorfully animated characters" that "capture children’s imaginations every school day and help set TLE completely apart in the early education field."

The buildings also employ a variety of safety features, including:

• Required security fob entry
• Cameras in each classroom that are monitored in the administrative offices
• Rounded corners in hallways and classrooms
• Bathrooms designed for pre-schoolers
• Changing tables that face out so that teachers never have their backs to the children
• Fenced-in playgrounds that have designated areas for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers