An application to rezone a 465-square-metre downtown residence to allow for a 32-child day care facility is 'ridiculous.'

That's the opinion of city councillor Dave Stockdale, who said he feels allowing the house at 710 Jarvis St. to be turned into a day-care centre is a bad idea.

'There are so many irregularities with this application ... 32 kids in a house that size in the middle of winter would be ridiculous,' Stockdale said.

'This is not an attractive proposition.'

The application to rezone 710 Jarvis from RD1, residential downtown, to RD1X, a revised zoning designation which is subject to a development agreement which would allow the day care with certain restrictions, was made by Laurie Austin on July 4.

'An application to amend the zoning of 710 Jarvis Street to allow for a child care centre as a principal use on a lot that is less than 930 metres-squared,' council documents state.

'Zoning Bylaw 2006-01 requires that child care centres have a minimum site area of 930 metres-squared and be located on a corner site or adjacent to a park.

'710 Jarvis is a corner lot, it is approximately 100 metres from Jan Montgomery Park, but is only of standard downtown lot size (465 metres squared).

'The zoning bylaw regulation is effectively calling for lots that are twice the size of normal (house sizes of that area), which helps ensure a quality child care centre with lots of room for play, and additional frontage to ensure room for child pick-up and drop-off,' council documents state.

The area of 710 Jarvis, according to council documents, is recognized by the Downtown Plan as Old Town; a residential neighbourhood.

Provisions recommended from the planning department, should council decide to approve the application would be:

• that the child care centre be permitted as a principle use;

• that the minimum lot size be 465 metres squared;

• that all employee parking be off-street; and

• that no more than 32 children be permitted to enter the day care.

Speaking to members of council Monday evening, downtown area resident Renee Carlson said she is opposed to the application in her neighbourhood because it runs against the city's plan and the community's vision for the area.

'... It's directly across from my residence,' Carlson said. 'We already have three day cares downtown.'

Carlson said she felt the RD1 zoning designation in her area, which only allows for single-family homes, should be protected because Old Town was meant to be a residential neighbourhood, not commercial.

'I'm asking that council not chip away at our neighbourhood by allowing spot zoning downtown,' said Carlson, who has been a resident of the area since 1979.

Expressing her position to council, Austin said she bought the house with the intention of building a day care. She had no intention on living in it and was informed when she bought the house that a day care centre is an option for the property. Austin said that she is flexible on the number of children who would be permitted to attend the centre if it was permitted to proceed.

Austin said the house, prior to her buying it, was in a terrible state of disrepair. She said she is willing to fix it up to better the neighbourhood and to build her child care centre.

'It's been pretty trashed inside and out; it (requires) a very large investment to get it up to standards.'