Daycare and Education Space in Laguna Hills

What to diligence before LOI

1. 01

   Laguna Hills Municipal Code 9-64.040 (Table 9-64.040) allows day care centers with a conditional use permit in the Office Professional, Village Commercial, Mixed Use and Community/Private Institutional districts. Community Commercial is not in that list, so confirm the district on the city zoning map before you negotiate on a center along Alicia Parkway or La Paz Road.

2. 02

   Tutoring and enrichment uses most likely fall under 'School, commercial', which the code defines as instruction in any branch of knowledge or art form for commercial purposes. The use tables in 9-28.020 (Community Commercial) and 9-30.020 (Mixed Use) both show it as a conditional use permit, so budget time for a CUP even for a small learning center and ask planning staff how they classify your concept.

3. 03

   Village Commercial property is governed by the Urban Village Specific Plan (section 9-24.010 incorporates it by reference), so a site in that district needs a read of the specific plan, not only Title 9.

4. 04

   Parking under Table 9-44.A for day care or nursery use is 1 stall per 2 employees plus 1 stall per 5 children based on facility capacity. A 96 child license like Guidepost's works out to about 19 stalls for children alone, before staff, so ask the landlord for the center's parking count early.

5. 05

   State licensing sets the floor plan: 35 sq ft of indoor activity space per child (22 CCR 101238.3) and 75 sq ft of fenced outdoor space per child with a fence at least 4 feet high (22 CCR 101238.2). For an 84 child program like Crossline's that is 2,940 sq ft of countable indoor space and 6,300 sq ft of outdoor play area.

6. 06

   A fire clearance is required for every child care center (22 CCR 101171), so have the local fire authority and city building staff look at exiting and occupancy for the suite before you sign.