Child Care Center Code Amendments

At a glance

What: Ordinance No. 26-23 (file CODE-25-0006) amending Articles 3 (Use Regulations), 4 (Development Standards and Incentives) and 6 (Definitions and Rules of Construction) of Chapter 7, the Unified Development Code, on where adult and child day care centers are allowed and what standards apply.
Outcome: Finally passed 8-1-0-0 on June 9, 2026 (second presentation). Donelson voted no.
Why it matters: The rewrite changes child care rules for non-residential and residential zones, including accessory use, colocation and residential conversions, in a city where Council members disagree about large day cares in neighborhoods.

Detail

Allison Stocker, Senior Planner, presented the project goal, stakeholder involvement, community input, definitions, child care licensing, general changes, non-residential zones, accessory use and colocation, then residential zones, existing child care in residential zones, use-specific standards, a residential street example, residential property conversion, Planning Commission notes and next steps.
Donelson asked whether anything had changed since first reading; Stocker said nothing had. He said he would vote no again because he does not feel large day cares fit in residential neighborhoods.
Attachments to the file include the allowed-use table comparison, a fact sheet, a map of existing child care in residential zones, state child care building requirements, the work session, first and second reading presentations and an excerpt of the April 8, 2026 Planning Commission minutes.

Work session (May 11, 2026)

Allison Stocker presented the ordinance at the 2026-05-11 - City Council Work Session. Casey asked whether it affects home day cares (no, only commercial centers); Rainey Jr. asked how HOAs are told (the applicant must check HOA restrictions); Henjum asked what PF stands for (Public Facilities, usually City-owned) and about opposition (some expected at the hearing, not a large amount); Casey asked about non-residential buildings in R1-6 zones (rare non-conforming uses, few conversions expected).
Source: minutes https://legistar2.granicus.com/coloradosprings/meetings/2026/5/2782_M_City_Council_Work_Session_26-05-11_Meeting_Minutes.pdf (item 8.H).

Votes

June 9, 2026: motion by President Pro Tem Risley, seconded by Gold, that Ordinance 26-23 be finally passed. Passed 8-1-0-0. Aye: Casey, Crow-Iverson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams. No: Donelson.

Sources

City Council minutes, June 9, 2026: https://legistar2.granicus.com/coloradosprings/meetings/2026/6/2786_M_City_Council_26-06-09_Meeting_Minutes.pdf (item 9.A, Signed Ordinance 26-23, staff report and presentations).
The first reading and the Planning Commission review are outside the minutes collected for this page.

Log

2026-06-09 - City Council

Presented by Stocker; Donelson asked about changes since first reading and said he would vote no again; finally passed 8-1.

First reading (item 10.D). Allison Stocker presented; seven speakers supported (child care providers, the Chamber and EDC, housing groups) and three from the Historic Neighborhoods Partnership and Old North End opposed. Donelson questioned unlimited large commercial day cares in residential zones and moved three amendments, each of which failed for lack of a second: one off-street parking space per 400 square feet; removing large commercial day cares from Residential and OR zones; changing permitted use to conditional use in Residential and OR zones. Stocker said the ordinance does not apply to home child care (large accessory home child care allows six to eleven children), that commercial centers would not be allowed on residential streets, and that notice goes to owners within 1,000 feet with on-site posters and appeal rights. Approved on first reading 8-1-0-0 on a motion by Henjum, seconded by Gold; Donelson no. Minutes: https://legistar2.granicus.com/coloradosprings/meetings/2026/5/2781_M_City_Council_26-05-26_Meeting_Minutes.pdf

2026-05-11 - City Council Work Session

Introduced (item 8.H); questions on home day cares, HOAs, Public Facilities zones and expected opposition.