This study, which is part of a review of the child care elements of local zoning ordinances conducted in 1986 for the Montgomery County Board in Silver Spring, Maryland, addresses planning and site planning issues that arise from the locating of child day care facilities in commercial settings. Principal purposes of the study were to: (1) analyze the cost of establishing child care facilities in commercial areas; (2) evaluate site planning factors, including traffic, parking, outdoor play areas, safety, security, and landscaping; (3) recommend specific site planning criteria to be used for the review of proposed child care facilities in commercial settings in Montgomery County; and (4) develop parameters for encouraging or assuring the provision of child care facilities in commercial areas. Findings of detailed surveys of operators, developers, and owners, as well as visual analyses, indicated differences based on location and principal uses of the buildings in which centers were located. Proposed minimum standards concerned parking requirements for freestanding facilities and the provision of designated child pickup and delivery zones. Site planning guidelines provide criteria for several facility design concerns. Factors influencing costs are identified and means of encouraging or assuring provision of care in commercial areas are discussed. Several site plan sketches are included and survey instruments are appended. (RH)