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MarinaVanessa 09:27 AM 10-08-2010
Wow good luck to you. I agree that I would just take the appeals in stride and move on. Yes they are troublesome, yes they are time-consuming but from what you have said officials have already stated that their reasons are not sufficiemt to deny you a permit for daycare. That being said, if they appeal this decision I agree that you should get legal advice on this subject. Getting your own lawyer can be costly so I like the above poster's idea that you should contact your local legal aid foundation and ask them for help. They won't always represent you but they will give you great advice and help you with the process. If the appeal overturns the first decision you should be prepared with the minutes and a manuscript of the 1st hearing, along with a witness of this comment about how you should not be making a living here (or a notarized letter) so that you can mention that you believe that at least one of the neighbors has something against you based on your race.

I was reading one of Tom Copeland's books about marketing and there's a section in there about neighbors. You could talk to your neighbors in person to discuss their issues and maybe once they actually meet you and see that you are being professional about it and will work with contracts, policies and within regulations and not just housing 20 wild screaming kids they'll give you and your daycare a chance.

You can also mail them flyers or letters introducing yourself and your daycare in a businesslike and professional manner. Include a list of their concerns that they made at the hearing and find a way to turn it around in their favor. For example:

Noise:
Will not be a problem because you have a maximum capacity of how many kids you will have and any time. List the maximum numbers and your daycare hours so that they can see that you won't have clients after 6pm or before 5am etc. If you decide to open at 6am (most cities have a noice ordinance prohibiting excessive noise before 7am) reassure them that you will have policies in place that will keep these early clients from making noise in the morning and if they fail to follow the policies you would appreciate to be notified (respectfully of course) and that action will be taken and if needed they can be terminated. You can also include loud music, slamming of doors, and honking during normal daytime hours too.

Parking: Repeat what you have already told us about how many parking spots you have available for your clients. You can mention that clients will not be staying long anyway and will only be there to pick-up and drop off and that they will only park in designated areas and will not block driveways, red zones or sidewalks. You can also mention how if you care for more than 1 child in a family that would mean even fewer cars.

Safety: Include information about how you have very strict safety and other regulations to ensure the safety of the children that you are required to follow. If your regulations include announced and/or unanounced visits from licensing or other include this also. You could briefly describe how your home and property has to be maintained and in good condition on a regular basis to keep it a safe place to play and learn. If you are planning on getting liability insurance mention this as well.

Property Values: Mention how you will be home everyday and how you can keep an eye out for suspicious activities/people keeping the neighborhood safer. Tom's book says that there is little evidence that running a daycare form a home lowers propert values and that you can contact your property tax office or real estate agent for more info on this.

Appearance of Property: You can keep the outdoor play activities in the back-yard and mention how there will be no toys or equipment left in the front yard at all.


Good luck with everything and I hope your neighbors come around.