Planning commission approves Brightmore in-house daycare for employees

The Spalding County Planning Commission approved a request from Brightmore Land Holdings LLC to operate an in-house day-care facility for employees at 3223 Noonan Road.

Chuck Brown, an owner and administrator for the hospice operation, told the commission the proposed space is an existing approximately 2,500-square-foot building at the rear of the assisted-living campus that has been used for storage and other functions. Brown said Brightmore now employs more than 600 people and seeks a limited, employee-only day-care to support staff who work onsite. "We now have over 600 employees," Brown said during his presentation.

Staff and conditions
Planning staff recommended approval with conditions that reflect state and local requirements: (1) compliance with all Georgia Department of Human Services (state child-care) regulations, (2) obtain all necessary building permits and pass fire marshal inspection, (3) restrict service to children of employees only and not open to the general public, and (4) maintain the use as accessory to the existing hospice/assisted-living operation.

Operational details provided
An applicant representative said the initial hours would be 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. to match common 12-hour nursing shifts. The proposal includes limited full-time care plus after-school drop-off for employee children. Food would be provided using existing kitchen services on the assisted-living campus.

Vote and next steps
After a public hearing with no opposition speakers, the commission voted to approve the conditional special exception; the chair recorded the motion as passing with no opposition. The approvals are conditioned on meeting state licensing and local permitting requirements before opening.