Living in LoCo
Developer Says "Grandfather Day Care"
Tammi Marcoullier at 3:55 p.m., November 7, 2007 (11 comments)
Lansdowne developer Hobie Mitchel says he is attending tonight's Lansdowne on the Potomac homeowners association meeting to put it into the record that he and a previous board had given approval to five Lansdowne families to provide day care and that they should be allowed to operate despite new rules limiting home-based businesses.
Some of the day care providers are being issued notices and fines, and there is mention of threats that the HOA will put liens against their homes if they do not close down their businesses.
This story has been going on since spring of this year, and many in the community are eager to close the book on it. Unfortunately for the daycare workers, the homeowner's board has a goal of shutting them all down, regardless of what permissions were granted previously.
Supporters of the businesses argue that the rules disregard state and local laws that allow "residential use of home" for child care, the caveat being that "residential use" is a different category than a "business," like a day care center.
Mitchel said that Lansdowne was built with home businesses in mind. "We brought the technology here so people could work from home," he said, giving credit to Bill Dean of M.C. Dean, and OpenBand, which he called a "visionary for thinking outside of the box at a time when the Verizon's of the world didn't want to provide this technology" to residents.
The day-care initiative proposed by the board, which would have allowed some home-care operations as long as the number of children didn't exceed a certain number, was defeated in a community vote in September.
"I wish them luck," said Mitchel of the home-care providers, because even with his statement to the board, that doesn't mean the day-care providers get a pass from the homeowner's board.
Previous coverage:
June 28: Lawyer Speaks for Daycare Providers in Lansdowne
May 9: Should HOA's Ban Home Daycare?
May 11: Lansdowne Moves Against Home Businesses
May 15: Lansdowne Developer Approved Some Businesses
June 7: More Arguing Over Home Businesses
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It's a bit disingenuous for Hobie and Dean to quote the "work from home" concept to mean daycares which, contrary to the work from home concept, require multiple car trips to and from homes.
I support daycares in homes in residential communities and we've had no problems with them in ours.
Posted by shevco (anonymous) on November 7, 2007 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You're correct that Hobie's statement doesn't seem to make sense. The "missing link" in the statement is this -- why should people who work at home have to leave the neighborhood to drop off a child at daycare, only to drive back home to work? It really defeats the purpose of the "live-work community" concept. I, too, support family day homes.
Posted by jleete (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I support those who want in-neighborhood Daycare to move to a neighborhood where they are allowed, and quit whining. YOUR problems are not EVERYBODY'S problems.
Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Re: "I support those who want in-neighborhood Daycare to move to a neighborhood where they are allowed, and quit whining. YOUR problems are not EVERYBODY'S problems.
Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 2:28 p.m"
The problem is that when at least 11 of the daycares started their business it WAS allowed and they have written approval stating such. It's fine if the HOA wants to ban future ones, but the exisiting - legal - daycares should be allowed to continue their approved businesses.
Posted by yaddayadda (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 2:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OhTheHumanity = Hindenburg = Something full of hot air
I like this game.
Posted by jleete (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Of course, Hobie is the original source of this problem, too. After all, he (or people employed by him) created the original HOA covenants that ban home businesses. If he built Lansdowne with home businesses in mind, then he should have created covenants that allowed them. Then we wouldn't be in this pickle.
Posted by jt12 (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Children!
Cars parked on the street!
The horror!
Posted by Paradox13VA (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 5:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Comments that aren't 100% in concert with mine!
The horror!
Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People, please stop arguing! You're all missing the point. It's not for the children. Read the title again. It says "Grandfather Day Care". I don't know about you, but my grandfather is old as dirt and could use the help of some pretty, young nurse to wipe his butt.
BTW Steve Snow lost. YEAH!!!
Posted by qazwsxedcrfv (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 5:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
qazwsxedcrfv ... LMAO!
Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on November 9, 2007 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hehehe!
Posted by qazwsxedcrfv (anonymous) on November 30, 2007 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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