Winter Springs board adopts ordinance establishing process for certified recovery residences

The Winter Springs Planning and Zoning Board, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, voted unanimously Dec. 4 to adopt Ordinance 2025-17, establishing a city process for reasonable-accommodation requests for certified recovery residences to comply with Florida Statute 397.487.

Terrell Enroll, director of community development, introduced the measure and said the ordinance implements state requirements by creating an administrative pathway for certified recovery residences to request accommodations from land-development rules that otherwise treat households according to a strict “family” definition. "Item 400 is ordinance number 2025-17, for an amendment of chapter 20 of the land development code, specifically pertaining to establishing a process and procedures for applications for reasonable accommodation...and the allowance of certified recovery residences, within the city in order to comply with Florida Statute 397.487," Enroll said.

Ike, the assistant city attorney, provided legal context and described the state certification process. "Recovery residences are essentially — you may have heard them referred to as sober homes. They are places where people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction are living in a residential setting," Ike said, adding that certification is "fairly rigorous," requires annual renewal, and includes management, eviction and relapse policies. Ike said the ordinance formalizes a process the city already follows under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act and that most accommodation requests will be handled administratively by the community development director with an appeal available to the city manager.

Board members asked whether the ordinance would permit congregate-care or assisted-living facilities to use the process. The attorney said it does not. The ordinance applies only to groups the city is already obliged to accommodate under federal law, and it limits accommodations to facilities that hold state certification. "This ordinance is clear that we are only going to provide reasonable accommodations for those that are certified," Ike said.

Members also raised questions about homeowners associations. The attorney said the state law and the city ordinance do not supersede HOA covenants and that a certified recovery residence seeking to locate in a covenanted community would still need to address HOA requirements separately. "The statute...does say that the application of this section...does not supersede any declaration of covenants adopted pursuant to chapter 720," Ike said, noting HOAs remain separately subject to the Fair Housing Act.

A board member asked whether the ordinance applies to newly constructed housing or accessory dwelling units. Ike replied the ordinance applies to any residence, though recovery residences commonly locate where multifamily uses are allowed and ADUs are typically not economically feasible for that use because recovery residences generally house about six residents.

After brief public input periods with no speakers, a board member moved to approve Ordinance 2025-17 and another seconded. The board held a roll-call vote and recorded unanimous approval; the motion passed. The board then received and declined reports, heard no final public comments, and staff reminded members the next meeting will be Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m.

The ordinance takes effect according to the city’s normal code-adoption schedule; the board’s action was explicitly tied to complying with the Jan. 1 statutory deadline for municipalities to provide a process for certified recovery residences.