Gary officials were united Jan. 2 in their opposition to a proposed day care center in the city’s Morningside Historic District.
All nine Common Council members voted “no” on a proposal to grant a special use permit that would allow for care for 5 to 10 children in a house in the 100 block of West 46th Avenue.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said she is willing to have city government officials work with the proposed day care’s operator, Luxury Bryant, to find an alternate site.
“We want young people like (Bryant) to come to our community and begin businesses,” Freeman-Wilson said. “We will help her to find a more desirable location.”
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Bryant, who works as a mental health therapist in Valparaiso, was not present to address the council, although her mother, Debbie Agnew, and grandmother, Lovie Davis, were present.
Agnew said her daughter would be willing to work with the city to find an alternate site, although she said the 46th Avenue address was meant to be a starter location.
“She would have wanted to move elsewhere later,” Agnew said.
Morningside District President Richard Brown said he and other area residents believed the narrow streets of the neighborhood and elder age of its residents make a child day care inappropriate.
“The residents of the area would like it to remain the way it is,” he said. “We want to keep it as a stable residential area.”
Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, D-6th, whose district includes the distict, said she has heard significant neighborhood opposition to the project, while council President Ronald Brewer said he was swayed by the fact no one is willing to speak out in favor of the proposed day care.
“We don’t see anyone who’s for this in the neighborhood,” Brewer said. “That troubles me.”
In other business, the Common Council approved a use variance for a Schererville hydraulic company that maintains a separate machine shop in Lynwood, Ill. The company wants to expand, and merge the two operations into a single plant to be located at 3110 W. 5th Ave.
Company officials said they hope to convert the one-time beer distributorship into a plant that would significantly expand their business capacity.
Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.