While some residents of Takhini North want a child care centre to remain in their neighbourhood, others don't want to endure the traffic and noise the centre would bring.

"There is no way that I can sleep during the day if there are 12 children who are running around and playing and making noise like children do," Susan van Tassell told council at a public hearing Monday night on the proposal to re-zone the other half of the duplex she lives in to allow for a child care centre.

At 73 Ortona Rd., van Tassell lives on the other side of the duplex that's proposed to house the daycare centre.

As someone who is on a shift work schedule, she has to sleep through the day, something that would be difficult with children on the other side of a cement wall that has no sound-proofing, she said.

"I don't see how I can work if I cannot sleep," argued the Takhini North home owner of nine years.

Leet Mueller is proposing to run the centre out of the duplex she is renting at 75 Ortona Rd.

Rather than operating a day home, which would be permitted under the current zoning, she is hoping to run a Montessori program with more children, bringing the proposal into the definition of a child care centre.

While child care centres are permitted as conditional uses in the current zone, in this case, the zoning has to be changed because the 461-square-metre home doesn't meet the minimum structural requirement of 930 square metres.

While a day home would also likely bring noise, van Tassell said, there wouldn't be much that could be done about it.

At half the size of what the bylaw allows for a daycare centre though, van Tassell wondered aloud why the laws are in place before going on to cite traffic as a concern in the

proposal.

"The increased vehicular traffic will undoubtedly create a large amount of noise and congestion during pick-up and drop-off times," she said.

Parking could also be a problem, she added, with the possibility of drivers blocking her driveway.

"Over the years, I have made some costly improvements to my home, which I doubt I'll be able to re-coup if I have to sell and re-locate," she said .

Her neighbour, also on a shift work schedule, has many of the same concerns she brought forward, van Tassell added.

His was one of three letters the city received against the re-zoning, along with another 10 that came in supporting the proposal.

While Mueller couldn't be at the hearing because she was taking a Montessori training course out of town, property owner Ludovic Gouaillier told council the proposal for the home came from Mueller.

Originally, he was planning to sell his half of the duplex. That changed when he was approached by Mueller over the possibility of renting it so she could continue to provide child care in the neighbourhood. He then opted to rent it out instead.

Mueller was losing her previous home and child care space after her landlord sold it.

Providing the city with documents from residents who support the centre, he explained that with the closure of the Little Paws Learning Centre, there's a lack of child care options in the neighbourhood that this could help fill.

He and Mueller sent letters to neighbours informing them of the possible child care centre. While many were in favour of the initiative, others had concerns, he said, noting the city would likely hear that side later during the public hearing.

Meanwhile, Linda Bonnefoy also appeared before council during the public hearing. She argued the rules for all child care operators need to be fair across the board, with funding provided equally for both day cares and day homes.

A report will come forward to council next week, with members set to vote on second and third readings of the re-zoning on July 27.