Commission denies specific-use permit for residential care / sober-living home at 2326 Roman Street after neighbor opposition

The Planning and Zoning Commission denied a request to allow a residential care/sober-living home at 2326 Roman Street after neighbors raised safety and notification concerns.

The applicant, Eric Ardoin, described the property as an eight-bed, private‑pay sober‑living home operating across four shared bedrooms and said he has managed similar homes and enforces a no‑drug policy, random testing and mandatory participation in recovery programs. Ardoin said most residents do not have vehicles and that the home had not yet reached full capacity during about four months of operation.

A neighbor, Peggy Coley, who lives next door at 2320 Roman Street, told the commission she was not notified before the house started operating, said she has heard late‑night gunfire near the property and said the lack of prior notice and perceived lack of supervision made her oppose the facility. "I am totally against it," Coley said on the record.

Staff recommended conditions if the permit were granted: a parking plan approved by the city's traffic engineer, a certificate of occupancy if repairs or alterations are required, an eight‑foot wood privacy fence along the eastern, northern and western property lines, and a requirement that vehicles not obstruct neighboring driveways or traffic flow. The applicant acknowledged he had not personally lived on the property, that he manages the home, and that the property owner lives out of town.

The commission took a motion to deny the specific-use permit; the motion carried on a voice vote recorded on the transcript as "deny" from commissioners and chairing staff.

Ending Commission staff and the applicant discussed follow-up: the applicant was advised to work with the building and fire marshal's offices before investing in further work, to obtain any required permits and inspections, and to address parking and fence requirements if pursuing future applications.