Approval of proposed day care center still on hold

Carrboro parents hoping to send children to a proposed day care center will have to wait.

The Board of Aldermen decided to wait on approving or denying a permit for the Goddard School for Early Childhood Development at its Tuesday public hearing.

Chris and Wendy Mattucci of Tony Tate Landscape Architectures presented plans for a 10,160-square-foot day care facility in the Winmore development.

Board members and residents raised concerns about the increased traffic that would come with the day care.

Parents of up to 156 students would converge on Winmore twice a day to pick up and drop off their children, a presentation stated.

The board also inquired about the day care’s plans to maintain Winmore’s level of environmental friendliness.

Wendy Mattucci said the orientation of the building would be situated so as to allow as much light in the building as possible.

“The building is designed for infants and toddlers to have morning light and older children to have afternoon light,” she said.

The Winmore development is described on its Web site as a sustainable neighborhood featuring modern amenities and classic architecture.

Some of the about 30 attendees expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of adding a day care facility to the development.

In addition to single-family homes and townhouses, the development features two miles of walking trails, playgrounds, natural wetland habitats, fruit orchards and a town center with shops and spaces for community events.

Residents pressed for information about the cost of the Goddard School’s services, which were estimated at about $1,300 per month for an infant and less for older children.

In order to meet Winmore’s standards for sustainable living, Goddard Systems, Inc., which has schools across the country, has had to make some adaptations to its template plan for new schools.

These sustainable planning measures include landscaping with native plant species, limiting irrigation and using captured rainwater for any necessary irrigation.

Because of the construction site’s proximity to Bolin Creek, grasses and wildflowers also would be planted to prevent erosion along the creek’s banks.


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