Farmington Hills restricts home-based daycare

I do not understand the Farmington Hills Zoning Board's opposition to residential daycare businesses serving up to 12 children. If the board is concerned about property values and extra traffic, I trust they will oppose locating elementary schools within residential areas too. I live across the street from Highmeadow Elementary in a Farmington Hills subdivision. This school enrolls over 300 students and as a result, I get the privilege of high traffic volumes every morning and afternoon. During special evening events, the street is clogged with parked cars and, depending on the day, I may even get to enjoy the emptying of dumpsters or the plowing of the parking lot as early as 4:00 AM. On some late evenings I get to contend with teenagers hot-rodding or hanging in the parking lot.

If the zoning board is worried about traffic and property values, they need to move elementary schools out of residential neighborhoods. Too costly to move? Tell that to the men and women earning a living providing home-based daycare.

[Letter to the Editor - The Gazette - published 02/02/2005]