Why this Occoquan home daycare won’t be allowed to expand

Neighbor complaints, citations lead to unanimous vote against family day home  

The number of children allowed at a home daycare in Occoquan will continue to be limited to five.

Sammy’s Home Child Daycare at 1613 Mount High Street wanted to care legally for up to 12 children. After it had been denied the request twice before, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors on Monday denied them a third time.

The decision comes after county and state inspectors, recently as March 19, noted the center’s owners Max and Maria Miller were caring for seven children, and were cited by Virginia Social Services for failing to maintain a proper attendance log of children at the day home.

Rebecca Horner, with the Prince William County Planning Office, told the Board of Supervisors that inspectors do not count a family day home’s owners’ children as part of the five-child cap.

Prior to the county getting involved, the state also denied the couples’ request to expand.

A change in state law, however, allowed the Millers to appeal to the county’s zoning department.  It polled neighbors, asking if they had concerns about the family day home.

They did and said too many cars had been coming to the home located on a dead end street causing unwanted congestion. They also cited a lack of parking on the street.

County zoning officials drivers dropping off and picking up children could not safely enter and exit the driveway due to a hill on Mount High Street.

Prior to the denial, the Millers’ on Monday night told the Board of Supervisors they had never been cited by state inspectors for exceeding the five-child limit. Citing county inspection reports, some on the Board, and those in the audience who spoke said the couple violated zoning laws several times.

“I congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Miller on their persistent purist of the American dream. My hat’s off to you,” said Ed Arnold, who lives across from the Millers’ family day home. “We have stood in your path for what we think are valid and viable reasons and, not withstanding, it is viable to see how persistent you are and that you’re not going to allow anything to come between you and your American dream — not even the laws.”

Maria Miller, the daycare’s primary caregiver, spends multiple hours a week planning and executing children’s activities such a singing and group play. Supporters who spoke on the Millers’ behalf said several invitations sent to neighbors requesting they attend an open house at the family day home to discuss their concerns went unreturned.

“We’ve made multiple attempts to comprise, including our new pick up and drop off schedule at the facility. There is never really more than one parent in the driveway at any given time,” said Lou Mincer, whose child attends the family day home.

In the end, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to deny the Miller’s request. Supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Peter Candland were absent from the meeting.

“This is a difficult situation, but the reason that the state did this is so we can work with the neighborhood to see if the proposed use is fit with the neighborhood. The primary way you do that is work with the neighbors and try to mitigate your concerns. As you can see from the testimony here today there is a serious disconnect between the applicant and the surrounding community,” said May.