Planning commission rejects rezoning to allow 5–6 person group home at 3820 11th Street

The Des Moines City Planning and Zoning Commission on March 5 recommended denial of a rezoning request that would have allowed a group living use for older adults and veterans at 3820 11th Street.

Bert Ross, planning staff, told the commission the property is currently a single-family dwelling with four bedrooms and two off-street parking spaces and that staff’s recommendation would allow a group-living use only if the zoning is limited and any group living use be capped at four residents. Ross cited parking, floor plan and site constraints as the basis for the staff limit and noted the property is nearly fully covered by the structure, leaving little opportunity for additional off-street parking. He also said the staff outreach map shows more than 20% opposition in the 200-foot calculation area, which triggers a supermajority requirement at City Council.

Olisa ("Lisa") Nikani, founder of Grace Hands Homes, asked the commission to approve rezoning to allow five to six residents, arguing the operator’s model provides stable housing for older adults and veterans who otherwise cannot access home-based services without a permanent address. Nikani said limiting the house to four residents would "make housing financially unstable for our residents on fixed incomes," and said residents typically use Social Security or disability income and often do not own cars.

Multiple neighbors strongly opposed the rezoning during public comment. Brian Jones and Julie Traver said the house has been a problem rental in the past with repeated police and ambulance responses and expressed concerns about crowding, lack of yard space and safety given the property's proximity to Oak Park School. Several residents described a pattern of turnover and on-street parking that blocks sidewalks.

Commissioners weighed neighborhood safety and operational capacity against the need for more housing for older adults and veterans. Some commissioners voiced support for the concept of group homes but questioned whether five or six residents could be accommodated safely in a four-bedroom house without onsite supervision. One commissioner noted that while group homes can be beneficial, the applicant had limited operational staffing and that the existing physical constraints made the request infeasible.

Commissioner (Speaker 20) moved to deny the rezoning request. The motion carried with a tally the commission recorded as six in favor, five opposed and one abstention. The commission’s recommendation to deny will be forwarded to City Council, which holds the public hearing and will make the final decision. The transcript records that the applicant acknowledged past zoning enforcement action and reiterated plans to work with staff on compliance.

The staff report notes that, if rezoning were granted, the applicant would still need a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment and that conditional uses carry enforcement mechanisms if a use becomes a nuisance.