Yaupon Beach day care may not find a home
By Amitabh Pal
Municipal Editor
A proposal to establish a day care
home in a Yaupon Beach residential
neighborhood has created more
commotion than a roomful of noisy
children.
The facility Libby Sarner wants to
operate at 412 Norton Street has run
into opposition from neighbors who
say such a facility is unsuitable in a
residential area.
Citizens have sent letters and peti
tions to town government express
ing opposition and have repeatedly
spoken out at planning board meet
ings.
The final say lies with the town
board, which next meets December •
14.
Sarner, who operates a day care
home near Southport, is asking the
town to amend its zoning ordinance
to permit a 12-child day care facil
ity.
"When my clients bought a home
to set up a day care center in
Yaupon Beach and requested to set
up a day care home, they received a
letter from the town stating that the
zoning ordinance does not allow day
care homes and facilities anywhere,"
said attorney Robert Serra. "We re
quested that the town amend the
zoning ordinance to allow day care
homes in residential areas."
A day care "home" serves between
six and 12 children. A day care "fa
cility" serves more than 12 children.
Residents in Yaupon Beach are al
lowed to keep a maximum of five
children without a license.
The planning board on November
12 recommended that the town not
amend its zoning ordinance to allow
for a day care home in a residential
area. Instead, the board is consider
ing a suggestion that the town allow
such facilities in business districts.
"Basically, the planning board did
not (recognize) a need ... for a day
care center in a residential area,"
said planning board chairman
Buddy Rudd. "There’s enough land
in the business district."
Serra said he felt the planning
board’s decision was a "good bit"
influenced by sentiment expressed
at the hearing. He said the problem
was that only people in opposition
showed up, and he hoped, that in the
future people sympathetic to the re
Sign of the times in Yaupon Beach is displayed on
a fence post next to the residence that Libby Sarner
wants to turn into a day care facility for Oak Island
youngsters.
‘It's fear of the un
known Theyf re ex
pecting the worst ’
jLibbySarner
quest would express support.
Serra said he would appear before
the board of commissioners Decem
ber 14 and "try to educate them
about the matter."
Serra said if the zoning change is
denied his client might pursue the
child care option on a smaller scale,
or she might sue to change the
zoning ordinance as "arbitrary and
capricious."
"I’m going to do what I’m allowed
to do, and work towards the other,"
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Samer said.
Both Sena and Samer have invited
board members to visit her present
day care home at 1030 Captain Ad
kins Drive in Smithville Woods.
"I just hope they get educated on
the situation,” Sena said. "I hope
they look at the town as a whole."
Samer said there is a great need
for day care in Yaupon Beach.
"I’m shocked that people can’t see
that," she said. She said she fre
quently receives calls from Oak Is
land mothers asking if she has
vacancies at Smithville Woods.
She said she can’t afford to open a
day care center in the business dis
trict. "Who has $200,000 to buy a
lot?" she said. "We’re not people
with money."
Some residents in the Yaupon
Beach neighborhood have been vo
cal in their opposition to the center.
Jim Beacham of 410 Norton Street
said he opposes the idea because he
felt any sort of business should be
operated only in a business, area.
He said such a facility would dis
turb the neighborhood beginning at
6:30 a.m., and that there were many
older residents who would be an
noyed.
"It’s not even like the children will
grow up and move out," he said.
"Here, the disturbance will be
permanent."
Helga Beacham said she is not
against the idea of day care, but
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loes not want the zoning ordinance
hanged when there is no need.
"We’re against turning a residen
ial neighborhood into a business
listrict," she said.
Donald and Ida Adams of 409
Norton Street also oppose the facil
ty
"We feel that this would
lowngrade our property values,”
aid Ida Adams. "We feel that this
leighborhood and Yaupon Beach
ire for retired people."
Donald Adams said he is con
emed about laying groundwork for
>ther more disruptive businesses in
csidential areas, and said there were
nany available locations in the busi
less district for a day care facility.
Serra said residents’ fears were
absolutely misplaced."
He said child care is a "fairly
unique type of business” and
wouldn’t commercialize the neigh
borhood; property value might be
enhanced by a child care facility;
and traffic flow would be increased
by only 12 cars in the morning and
12 at night
"It’s fear of the unknown," Samer
said when asked about her opposi
tion. "They’re expecting the worst"
Samer said she could assure op
ponents there would not be any
noise or disruption, and cited the
"peace and quiet" in her Smithville
Woods neighborhood as an exam
ple.
Samer said she looked for "one
solid year" before choosing the
home because she wanted a site
easily accessible from Caswell
Beach, Long Beach and Yaupon
Beach.
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