By Heather Michon
Editor
A proposed teen center on Lake Monticello Road moved closer to approval last week after the Fluvanna County Planning Commission unanimously supported both a zoning change and a special-use permit.
Applicant Tiffany Smith, who owns two daycare centers on Lake Monticello Road, plans to convert one building into the “Flucos Den Center,” a supervised space offering recreational, educational, and social activities for teenagers.
The goal is to provide the kind of structured after-school space currently lacking for many local teens.
“There’s really just nothing to do for these kids,” Smith told commissioners.
Smith said the center could offer tutoring, homework assistance, counseling, job-search help, crafts, and practical-skills programs.
She has also spoken with representatives of the Region Ten Community Services Board about providing counseling and support for teenagers facing problems they may not feel comfortable discussing at home.
The county’s zoning ordinance does not currently include teen centers as a defined use. The proposed amendment would allow them, by special-use permit, in the B-C (Business-Convenience) zoning district.
Planning staff said the proposed center would be compatible with the surrounding area and was not expected to generate more traffic than the child care center that previously operated in the building. Many teenagers would arrive by school bus rather than being dropped off individually, staff said.
The permit initially proposed limiting the center to 25 teenagers and allowing operations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Much of the commissioners’ discussion centered on the appropriate ratio of adult staff members to teens, although Planning Department staff noted that Ms. Smith’s staffing levels were an operational matter, rather than a land-use issue.
At Smith’s request, commissioners recommended increasing the limit to 35 teenagers and allowing the center to operate during the same hours on Saturdays. Smith said Saturday hours would provide flexibility for special programs and events involving working parents.
Other proposed conditions require working smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher, and an updated emergency response plan. The center would also be required to comply with applicable building and fire codes.
The Planning Commission recommended both measures 5-0. Final approval rests with the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors.
