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Council approves House of Hope special use permit and tied parking variance for 14-bed transitional men's house
Summary
Council approved a special use permit and a tied variance allowing a communal house called House of Hope at 1804 North Osteopathy to operate as transitional housing for men exiting rehabilitation, with up to 14 single bedrooms and a live-in house manager; variance is explicitly tied to that use and would be nullified if the use ceased.
The Kirksville City Council approved a special use permit and a related zoning variance that will allow a faith-based transitional men’s house, the House of Hope, to operate at 1804 North Osteopathy.
Ashley Young, community and economic development director, told the council the property was built as a fraternity house and is well suited for a communal-house use. Young said the planning and zoning commission considered the matter on Nov. 12, held a public hearing and unanimously recommended approval. “There were no individuals who spoke in opposition, and it was recommended to you all for approval unanimously,” Young said.
Applicant Chris Bailey described the operation as transitional housing, not a homeless shelter or a rehabilitation treatment facility. “It’s not going to be a homeless shelter. It’s not going to be a rehabilitation center. It’s gonna be a transitional house,” Bailey said, adding the program would primarily serve men finishing a 28-day rehab program or otherwise in need of a safe transitional placement. Bailey said the residence has 15 bedrooms (14 single-occupancy rooms and one manager suite) and indicated a plan for 14 residents.
Following the special-use approval, the council considered a variance from the municipal code’s hard-surface parking and driveway requirements. Young said there is an existing 75-foot concrete driveway and, in staff’s view, it is “more than adequate for the use,” while the cost to bring the entire site into current code would represent a hardship. She reported applicant estimates ranging from $14,500 to $22,500 to comply with the paving requirements and recommended the variance, which planning and zoning also supported.
When asked whether the variance would remain in effect if the House of Hope ceased operation at that site, Young confirmed the variance is tied to the House of Hope use and would be null and void if the use changed. The council voted to approve both the special use permit and the tied variance.
Why it matters: the approvals allow a locally sourced transitional housing option intended to provide supervised post-rehab support and reentry services for men in Kirksville, with conditions that tie the zoning relief to that specific use and location.
