Planning and Zoning Board - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming. This is the River Beach Planning and Zoning Board meeting. The date is September 10, 2026. The time is approximately 6.30 p.m. If anyone wants to speak on agenda item, please complete a public comment card located at the front desk and give it to the city clerk staff before the city council takes up that item for discussion. And before the public comment section is announced in November, will anyone be allowed to submit a comment card to speak on the agenda item after the item, the title of the item has been read or considered the time allotted for the comment on the consent agenda for each member for the public is three minutes. Please know that the time limit for the public comment may be reduced by the vote of the city council based on the voluminous nature of the public comments card. Please be reminded that the city of River Beach is committed to civility and decorum by its officials, employees, and members of the public who are attending this meeting. We're going to start with a moment of silence. And the board is going to lead with the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. Let's go ahead and start with a roll call, please.

Board Member Joseph. Board Member Davis. Board Member Gallin.

Here.

Board Member Brown.

Present.

Board Member Williams. Board Member Stringer. Present. Board Member Burgess. Board Member Fernandez. Chair Wiley.

Present. Do we have any acknowledgement of any Board Member absent notifications?

Yes, sir, Mr. Chair. Mr. Vice Chair, Mr. Fernandez. HE DID SEND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION THAT HE WILL BE UNABLE TO ATTEND MEETING TONIGHT. BOARD MEMBER RENE BURGESS. BOARD MEMBER WILLIAMS. SO THE VOTING MEMBERS TONIGHT WILL BE BOARD MEMBER BROWN, BOARD MEMBER GALLON, BOARD MEMBER STRINGER AND YOUR SELF CHAIR.

THANK YOU. IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF BOARD MEMBER VACANT POSITIONS.

Yes, sir. We have the alternate vacant position for District two.

Do we have any additions or deletions to the agenda?

No, Mr. Chair.

Do we have any disclosures by board members and do we have any disclosure by board members, any board members? I can we go and have the adoption of the agenda, please.

Chair, I move that the agenda be adopted without any necessary corrections or deletions.

Second.

Chair, it has been properly moved and seconded. Are we ready for the vote?

Yes.

Board Member Brown?

Yes.

Board Member Gallin?

Yes.

Board Member Stringer? Yes. Chair Wiley?

Yes.

Unanimous vote, Chair.

On to number five, approval minutes.

Chair, we have no minutes for this meeting.

ON TO NUMBER SIX, ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS THIS EVENING, MR. CHAIR. ARE WE ON TO NEW BUSINESS?

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERA BEACH, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPROVING A SITE PLAN APPLICATION SP26-0001 AND A SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION SE26-0001 BY BUSY BEES SCHOLARS TO ALLOW THE EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME to a large family childcare home located at 1585 AC Evans Street in the city of Riviera Beach, identified by property control number 56, 43, 42, 29, 02, 004-0010, providing for a condition of approval, providing for an effective date and for other purposes. The presenter will be principal planner, Juan Suarez.

Hello, everybody.

Hello, Ms. Suarez.

I'm here to present SB 26001 and SE 26001, the childcare, family childcare home for busy bee scholars. So we can see the request, the applicant request is the approval of the site plan with special exception to expand an already existing licensed family chair CARE FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME INTO A LARGE CHILD FAMILY CARE HOME. SO CURRENTLY THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE A CURRENT MAXIMUM OF SIX CHILDREN AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO EXPAND THAT TO 12. OF COURSE THERE WON'T BE NO STRUCTURAL CHANGE. THERE'S NO STRUCTURAL CHANGE PROPOSED TO THE SITE. PROJECT LOCATION WE CAN SEE. WHERE THE SITE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED. THE PROPERTY INFORMATION, THE PROPERTY IS SINGLE FAMILY. THE FUTURE LAND USE IS SINGLE FAMILY. THE EXISTING ZONING DISTRICT IS RS8, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

AND THE REVIEW PATH, OF COURSE, THIS IS A SPECIAL EXCEPTION IN SITE PLAN APPLICATIONS.

RSA is an eligible residential zoning district where a large family child care home may be considered for the special exception under Section 31544. So we can see here the existing conditions of the property. There are the requirements of the child care. You do need to be able to park two vehicles and we can see that the site does allow for two vehicles and uh the playground area has to be fenced with the opaque uh pvc or wood fence and we can see they do have the pvc fence so the criteria The co-criteria per section 31544, large family childcare that the applicant meets every single criteria. The zoning RSA, they met that, the personnel, two full-time childcare personnel during operation hours, they met that. License experiences, they have to be already an existing family care. They met that maximum enrollment up to 12 children. They met that indoor floor area. The minimum is 420 square feet. They meet that in the outdoor player area. The minimum is 900 square feet and they have 1300 square feet that they provide. So they also made that parking drop off two spaces. And we already established that they need that as well. And the separation of an existing childcare of the 200 feet separation, they also need that. We can see once again here, the minimum square feet for the inside and for the outside, they also need that. Parking and drop off, two parking spaces. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE. THIS IS THE DISCIPLINE THAT REVIEWED THE PROJECT AND WE ALL FOUND THE PROJECT COMPLIANT. PLANNING AND ZONING, MYSELF, REVIEW FOR CONSISTENCY WITH CHAPTER 31 AND CHAPTER SPECIFICALLY CHAPTER 31544B THAT TALKS ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LARGE FAMILY Engineering, Mr. Terrence Bailey. Of course, he reviewed his portion. And Fire Rescue, Mr. Frank Stallworth reviewed his portion as well and deemed it compliant and approved it. So staff recommendation is staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board FORWARD THE RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL FOR CYPLINE APPLICATION S.E. 26001 AND SPECIAL EXCEPTION APPLICATION S.E. 26001 TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. THE APPLICANT IS HERE FROM BCD SCHOLARS. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ANSWER.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Charmaine Scott-Lewis.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Charmaine Scott-Lewis.

And I'm Pearlie Lewis.

So go ahead and please go ahead. And just for advertising purposes, also here with the board, since everything is recorded, you're just going to talk about your business and just kind of explain to us what you do and everything and how you impact the community.

OK, so we are owners of Busy Bee Scholars. We've been in business for three years now. I went off my mother. She was in business for two. over 20 years in West Palm Beach. So I decided to step in her footsteps. The purpose of us expanding on this, I wanted to serve the community. We have been getting a lot of phone calls and Obviously, we have to reject the families because we have no space. I've previous worked in a school and I see the needs of the community and especially with mothers in needs, especially with having a large family and they don't have the means, you know, with. finding childcare. So we advertise in a community, we pass out flyers, we go different places and pass out our flyers as well. So I really want this expansion because it will be good for the community.

To serve as more parents. So like she said, that we've been getting the calls, but we can't accept them because We only allow to have six children. So we just need to be able to service more.

So do me a favor, talk more about the business and what you plan on doing, like your overall, because like I say, this is being recorded. So we want everyone to be able to hear these good things you're trying to do in the community and let them understand what the rules and regulations are and everything. So they'll be more likely to, you know, contribute to helping you out.

but we service from infants to school age, and we have a strong curriculum. Like now, I have a coach that come in, and she see how well we work with the children. And like my two-year-olds, they know how to identify their numbers. They know how to spell their name. They know how to even add and subtract. So we want to just offer more to the community as far as teaching and expanding their learning. So...

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm a school teacher for 15 years at the middle school level and the high school level and at the college level also. So that's what I kind of wanted to hear you say so people would know exactly why we need this because a lot of kids are coming into the community lacking the skills even at the elementary level. Like you say, don't know the colors, numbers, spelling, and stuff like that. So now they're already behind. So we want to get our community back up to par.

Even our parents now, they're You know, they spread the news about our child care because we've never seen a child care that's so into learning. Right. You know, we don't let them sit in front of TVs all day. You know, actually, we don't even have a TV in the daycare. Now, at the end of the day, maybe I may bring it out and then watch something educational. But as far as all day, we do not have a TV inside the daycare because we mostly focus on learning. That's why we are called Busy Bees Scholars.

Very good. Very good. Your start, Mr. Scringle, do you have any questions?

I really don't have any questions, more of a comment. I did not know who this was. So, you know, I have to disclose years ago, I'm not for sure how many years, like during COVID, I served as a consultant for the home daycares. This particular daycare was not a part of that, but I don't want anybody to say, oh, I know champion knows so and so and so and so. So I just wanted to make sure I put that out there. But I also definitely want to encourage her daughter to say, you know, as a small business, you know, you're going to have ups and downs, but education it's definitely needed so desperately at a younger age in our community. So kudos to doing that. And hopefully the community will wrap their arms around you and you take advantage of the small business opportunities that's come here that are available from the city standpoint, as well as the County. Thank you.

Mr. Gallo. No, I have no comments, no questions. All right. Mr. Brown?

Just on edification, what's the maximum age of a daycare?

Birth to school age.

What age group is that? What age group is that?

Infants to five-year-old, yes.

Infants to five-year-old. Thank you.

One thing I know, I'm not an expert on this, but I know something that My mom had with me every Saturday morning, but I know they have CDs on them now. Schoolhouse Rock is the... Yeah. I mean, I learned what a bill was. I learned conjunctions and everything like that. Yeah, we learned everything like that, and the kids kind of catch on to the songs and everything, and if I didn't know something, I sang the song in my head, and bam, I knew how a bill was done. And that's even at a young age, so that's just a recommendation, but... Again, thank you for being in the community and asking for more responsibility because most people don't. And like I said, I support it. Any other questions by the board? Does anybody want to do a motion? Are we ready yet?

That's it.

All right. So do we have a motion?

CHAIR, I MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS SITE PLAN AND THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION AS PRESENTED BY STAFF AND EXPOUNDED ON BY THE APPLICANTS.

SECOND.

CHAIR HASN'T PROBABLY MOVED A SECOND. ARE YOU READY FOR THE VOTE?

YES.

BOARD MEMBER GALLIN?

YES.

BOARD MEMBER BROWN?

YES.

BOARD MEMBER STRINGER? YES. Vote fast and with unanimous vote, Chair.

Congratulations. And again, I just want to, I didn't want to put you on the spot, but I still want you to understand that when you're here, you know, you got to advertise. It's always advertising because people see, hear this, get the name Busy B and hey, let me try them out, you know, because they now heard your story. So always tell your story and everything. It's always advertising.

Thank you for the opportunity. We're just nervous. I know. We're nervous.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Board.

Do we have any workshop items? No, Mr. Chair. Do we have any public comments?

No, Mr. Chair.

General discussion? Do we have any staff updates?

Yes, we have our next Planning and Zoning Board meeting will be in two weeks, September 24th. AND THAT IS AT THAT MEETING, WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE FINAL VERSION OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.

DO WE HAVE ANY CORRESPONDENTS BY ANY BOARD MEMBERS? ANY GOOD NEWS?

I JUST WANT TO MAKE TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS, IF I COULD. ONE, DEFINITELY TOMORROW IS 9-11, SO SHALL WE NEVER FORGET a situation that changed the world forever. And then also the city business is the educational grant K through 12. The deadline has been extended to September the 25th, if I'm not mistaken. And they're actually having their meeting tonight at the Brooks Center. So for residents or business owners that are watching, that has been extended and it should be on the city's website. Thank you.

Anyone else? If I'm correct, I think we're on to, we already got the up and the planning is on the board meeting, the up and coming one. So I guess we're looking for a motion for adjournment.

Chair, I motion that we adjourn the meeting.

Second, third.

So thank you everyone.

Have a wonderful night, guys.