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Council tables UDC changes on group living after residents ask for more time to review
Summary
Hammond city staff proposed defining group living and tightening standards for group housing in the Unified Development Code; residents and several council members asked for the revised draft to be posted and for copies before a final vote, and the council voted to table the measure for further review and a work session.
Hammond city planners presented an ordinance to revise definitions and use standards for group living and care facilities in the Unified Development Code, proposing clearer categories for group housing and exclusions for certain occupants, including references to people released from correctional institutions and some forensic patients. The proposed change originated in the Planning & Zoning Commission and included an annotated chart the planner said would distinguish existing provisions from the proposed text.
Several residents urged the council not to adopt the ordinance at the meeting because the version posted with the agenda included the wrong hyperlinked attachment. Deborah Swinson, secretary of the Woodbridge Subdivision HOA, said residents needed time to review the corrected document and asked that the public be notified of any separate planning meetings so they could attend. "We would like it to be tabled because we need an opportunity to review it," Swinson said.
Council members and planning commissioners acknowledged mistakes in the posted materials and said staff had received additional attorney comments the morning of the meeting. Ron Matthews of the Planning and Zoning Commission described the item as primarily a terminology and definition cleanup and recommended reducing the package into smaller tranches for more focused public review. Council members said they wanted the planning department to post the finalized drafts on the city website and provide copies at future meetings.
Councilman Wells said there were active neighborhood complaints about existing group houses in his district and signaled he would oppose adopting the ordinance until enforcement or removal options for current problem properties were addressed. City staff said some existing facilities had been approved under prior rules and that state and federal law limits how municipalities can define a "family," so the proposed approach focuses on regulating building use, occupancy numbers, parking and other objective measures.
After public comment and council discussion, the council voted to table final adoption and scheduled further review in a public work session so residents and commissioners can comment on the corrected draft before any final vote.
