The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission approved a special exception Tuesday to allow a daycare center for disabled children at 1402 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in the Lakeview Center.
Site Plan Coordinator Kevin Erwin said the facility, called PediPec, would be in a building located toward the back of the Lakeview Center.
“It is most similar in use to a childcare center, which is a special exception use in the commercial office zoning district,” Erwin said. “The property is going to be used for a prescribed pediatric extended care.”
The office would be licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration, offering an alternative to home nursing care for children with unique medical needs that require constant medical intervention and monitoring, he said.
“PediPec is staffed by licensed pediatric personnel and offers up to 12 hours per day for families struggling with children who have specific medical needs,” Erwin said, adding that staff recommended approval of the application.
Attorney Ellie Halperin, representing the applicant, said that the use is needed in the village.
“This is just a fabulous use to meet a need that is unmet in the village right now,” Halperin said. “It’s a great location in the corner of a shopping center.”
She said that the children are usually transported by a medical van, with very little traffic generated by the use.
Commissioner Richard Becher asked whether the children treated there would have cognitive or physical disabilities, and Halperin said both.
“The therapy is offered on premises,” Halperin explained.
“I welcome you,” Becher said. “It should be wonderful.”
Daniel Miller, one of the owners, said some sort of physical ailment is necessary, along with cognitive disability.
“If it’s just physical, they do usually approve, but just cognitive alone doesn’t necessarily get the approval,” Miller said. “They also need some kind of physical condition that requires medical care all day.”
Commission Chair Jackie Larson asked whether the children are also enrolled in school.
Miller said some are enrolled in school, and efforts are made to graduate them, but for others that is not possible.
“We have anything that ranges from independent children to cancer patients to cerebral palsy or anything of that nature,” he said. “We hope that they do, they don’t always, but that definitely is the goal, to get them not to be medically dependent on the daycare, but to get to where someone is not following them around, or in the case of the cancer patients, that they have a full recovery to continue their life.”
Miller said some parents do drop off their children, but the traffic is usually staggered so there is not a lot of traffic congestion.
“I agree with Richard that this is a wonderful thing,” Larson said. “We don’t have anything like that here, and there certainly is a need, so it is a service to bring to Royal Palm Beach.”
Commissioner Michael Axelberd made a motion to approve the application, which carried 5-0.
In other business:
• The commissioners approved an application by South Florida Foot & Ankle at 11412 Okeechobee Blvd. to remove awnings from its building.
• The commissioners approved an application by Rubber Ducky Car Wash at 9960 Belvedere Blvd. for exterior painting.
• The commissioners postponed a request by Crestwood Development at 980 Crestwood Blvd. to reduce the number of parking spaces at its recreational pod from 157 to 23 spaces.
• The commissioners approved an application by Crestwood Development for construction of seven new models, widened vehicular gates, monument signage, a mail kiosk and a bus shelter.
