Children of America Discusses Parking, Traffic With DRC

Members of Chestnut Hill Community Association’s Development Review Committee waited Tuesday night to hear a courtesy presentation from Brad Parker, Project Manager for Children of America.

Parker spoke for over an hour with committee members in an informal presentation, discussing construction details from paint colors to tempered windows, but one detail took center stage: Traffic and parking.

Parker said the childcare center would mostly rely on the small side lot between the former Borders building and the SEPTA bus loop. Park said the lot contained 19 parking spaces, and he believes that is enough, even with two Children of America buses—used for field trips—occupying spots.

“You can’t think of this like an elementary school with slated start times. It’s a four to five minute drop-off time, and it is happening at different times in the morning between 6:30 and 9 a.m.,” Park said.

As for employee parking, Park said being located near a bus loop and a train station will permit employees to take public transportation to the facility. He added that supplying employees with discounted transit passes could be an added perk to encourage them to use SEPTA.

Park also mentioned that he would be fine with a right-turn-only restriction for those exiting the parking lot onto Germantown Avenue, but members of the DRC suggested that would be a matter to discuss with the Traffic, Transit and Parking committee of the CHCA.

Park agreed to appear at the committee, which will meet March 5, to further discuss parking and traffic concerns.