Novato, CA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Section 19.34.070 sets location and operational standards for child day care facilities in addition to the rest of the Zoning Ordinance and the requirements of the California Department of Social Services, and it states that licensing by the Department of Social Services is required for all facilities. The glossary in § 19.60.020 defines a Child Day Care Center as a commercial or non-profit facility designed and approved to accommodate 15 or more children, including infant centers, preschools, sick-child centers and school-age day care, whether run with a school or church facility or as an independent land use.

A center is allowed in the zoning districts determined by Article 2, subject to Use Permit approval under § 19.42.050. In the residential district table (Table 2-4), the row for day care of 15 or more persons prints UP in every residential column, against P for 14 or fewer persons. Subsection A.3 then sets the standards. The minimum parcel size is 10,000 square feet. Off-street parking is determined through Use Permit approval but is a minimum of one space per employee on the largest shift. A safe area for picking up and dropping off children must be provided, and that activity is allowed only in a driveway, in an approved parking area, or in an area with direct access to the facility. Potential noise sources are identified during the Use Permit process, noise attenuation and sound dampening must be addressed, and noise levels must comply with § 19.22.060 and the Safety and Noise Chapter of the General Plan.

Alternatives to the standards are possible only through the Use Permit, and only if the Review Authority determines that the intent of the standards is met and that there will be no detriment to surrounding properties or residents. Because the permit is discretionary, a center that breaks its conditions risks revocation after a public hearing under § 19.59.070, with written notice delivered ten days before the hearing.