Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): 4 and 7
Application of Rooted in Christ Academy, LLC c/o Chiquita Stokes for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) for a child daycare facility for up to six children in the R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district, at 6706 Princeton Park Trail.
Body
PETITION NO: N6-2026-0712 SLUP-26-1248093
PROPOSED USE: Child daycare facility for up to six children.
LOCATION: 6706 Princeton Park Trail, Lithonia, Georgia 30058
PARCEL NO. : 16 130 01 201
INFO. CONTACT: Lucas Carter, Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Rooted in Christ Academy, LLC c/o Chiquita Stokes for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) for a child daycare facility for up to six children in the R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (June 2026) Approval with Condition(s).
PLANNING COMMISSION: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
PLANNING STAFF: (July 2026) Denial.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant requests a Special Land Use Permit to operate a child daycare facility for up to six (6) children within an existing single-family residence at 6706 Princeton Park Trail. The subject property is located within the Princeton Park subdivision and is zoned R-100. The surrounding area is developed primarily with single-family detached residential homes. The applicant proposes to operate a small family childcare learning home from the existing residence. According to the application materials, the proposed facility would serve up to six children, operate with one employee, utilize four bedrooms within the residence, and provide four off-street parking spaces in the existing private driveway. The stated hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The applicant has indicated that drop-off and pick-up activity would occur entirely within the driveway, with no loading, unloading, or parking proposed within the public right-of-way. The applicant has also indicated that the exterior appearance of the home would remain residential, that outdoor play would be supervised, and that the facility would comply with applicable State of Georgia childcare licensing requirements prior to operation. The subject property is located on Princeton Park Trail, which is classified as a local roadway. Interdepartmental comments note that applicable right-of-way, sidewalk, landscape strip, and pedestrian-scale lighting requirements may apply pursuant to the Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Code. Public Health comments also note general requirements related to onsite sewage disposal, food service, and childcare facilities. Land Development comments indicate that the proposed Family Child Care Learning Home would have no adverse impact on existing County-maintained roads or drainage infrastructure; however, a state water with regulatory buffer exists across the property and must be maintained and protected. From a general compatibility standpoint, the proposed use is small in scale and is proposed within an existing single-family residence with no apparent expansion of the building footprint. A child daycare facility limited to six children would be less intensive than a larger daycare center and, if properly managed, could operate with limited traffic, parking, noise, and visual impacts. The applicant held a community meeting on April 2, 2026, where the applicant discussed parking, traffic, hours of operation, noise, supervision, and state licensing. The submitted transcript reflects limited attendance and no substantive opposition documented during the meeting. Section 27-4.2.19(D) of the DeKalb County Zoning Ordinance states that no child daycare facility shall be located within one thousand (1,000) feet of another child daycare facility. Staff has identified an existing Family Child Care Learning Home at 1021 Princeton Park Drive, located less than 300 feet from the subject property. Although staff notes that the existing facility is registered with the State of Georgia and not with DeKalb County, the use appears to function as a child childcare facility for purposes of the separation requirement. Therefore, the proposed use would not satisfy the required 1,000-foot separation standard. Therefore, based on the submitted materials, interdepartmental comments, community meeting record, and staff’s finding that the proposed facility does not comply with the 1,000-foot separation requirement of Section 27-4.2.19(D), the Department of Planning and Sustainability recommends “Denial” of this application.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (June 2026) Approval (7-0-0) with the condition that the fence install must adhere to buffer requirements & restrictions and have a minimum height of 6 feet.