The Crookston Planning Commission met on Tuesday night and approved a conditional use request a 202 4th Street East for a family child care. The building was previously used as the alternative learning center by the Crookston School District.
The property will need to be surveyed, and a title acquired, but Janelle Berhow said she hopes to be operating a child care at that location by early 2021. “I’m looking to have 12 (kids), which is my capacity,” said Berhow. “Hopefully, open by January. We’ll just have to wait and see how everything falls into place. We have surveying and title work to do. Then, signing the loan and everything. In a year or so, I’d like to visit and either increase my numbers with another provider. Or do evening or weekend care to get some growth out of it.”
Berhow used to offer child care in Crookston out of her home. “I did daycare out of my home when my kids were little from 2000-2006,” said Berhow. “Then, my house got sold to the city to revamp the dike system, so I got out of it then. I’m looking forward to it. I love working with kids, so it should be fun.”
Commission member Shirley Iverson said she was contacted by a landlord who was concerned the child care and his business may be at odds. Iverson said the landlord is contracted to provide housing for some felons through Tri-County Community Corrections and what the impact would be.
Building Official Greg Hefta said he believed that was something that needed to be addressed by the police and the licensee of the child care to work through and didn’t apply to the review of the Planning Commission’s conditional use request. Councilman Joe Kresl said he imagined there would be a significant impact between the two businesses. “The child care need shadows that by any means,” said Kresl. “That’s something that can be moved around or thought of how to work together, but that’s up to the police, as Greg said, and other entities. But at this point, I think where this child care is, is a perfect place in mid-downtown. I think anything to do with child care and somebody that wants to do it, the city really needs to move forward with it because we are in dire need of child care.”
The recommendation to approve the conditional use request will go before the Crookston City Council on Monday, September 28.
