Special Exception - Board of Adjustment Board - December 2, 2025, Passed 5-0

A Resolution of the City of Sunrise, Florida, granting a Special Exception Use Permit for a Day Care Center located at 2600 Sawgrass Mills Circle; providing for penalties for violations of the conditions of approval; providing for the term of the permit; and providing an effective date. City Manager Mark Lubelski. Shannon Ley, Director of Community Development.

This is an application for Special Exception use approval for a proposed day care center to be located within the existing vacant commercial building formerly known as La-Z-Boy, located at 2600 Sawgrass Mills Circle, as shown on the location map in the attached Staff Report. The property is zoned B-3, General Business District, within the Western Sunrise Area and the Western Sunrise Entertainment District, and the underlying land use designation is Commercial within a Dashed Line Area (2.94 units per acre) on the City’s Future Land Use Map. The use requires City Commission approval per Subsection 16-36 of the Land Development Code (LDC) for a Special Exception. A concurrent application is being processed for a Revised Site Plan.

Staff finds this application meets all applicable LDC requirements for the granting of Special Exception use for a Day Care Center. Therefore, Staff recommends approval subject to the following conditions:

1. Approval of the proposed Revised Site Plan application (RSP-000008-2025).
2. The facility is restricted to no more than two hundred and twenty (220) children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years, and twenty-nine (29) staff in attendance on any day operation. Any increase in staff or students will require a revised Special Exception.
3. The hours of operation are restricted to Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
4. A security guard shall be on-site during operational hours, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, to ensure the safety of children and the operational drop-off procedures are enforced. Any reduction in hours or removal of the on-site security guard shall require City Commission approval.
5. No offsite parking is approved for this site or permitted and parents will be informed upon enrollment that no offsite parking is permitted.
6. School events (i.e. graduation, holiday celebrations, etc.) that allow for parent and family attendance will be limited such that the parking demands are not exceeded.
7. Prior to issuance of an engineering or building permit for the subject project, applicant to submit for approval by City staff the final left-turn lane design on Pink Flamingo Lane including the mitigation for impacted landscaping, signs, etc.
8. Construction of left-turn lane on Pink Flamingo Lane must be complete and finaled prior to any type of certificate of occupancy or business tax receipt for the day care center.
9. Transportation services for students are not permitted at the facility.
10. Prior to final Special Exception use approval through the Community Development Department, the applicant shall address the outstanding comments of the Development Review Committee.

Staff completed an open building permit and code violation search. There are no open building permits and three active City Code violations.

For more information on this item, including any of the attachments to this item or additional backup information, please contact the Community Development staff member identified below.