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Law director: group homes in Forest Park are limited and must register, officials say
Summary
At the March 16 meeting Law Director John Michael told council that group homes in Forest Park are limited by zoning, must register, and must meet Ohio fire-code requirements; council members and staff gave varying estimates of how many such homes exist (estimates ranged from 2 to 6).
Law Director John Michael told the council that group homes in Forest Park are a limited, regulated class of dwelling and must register with the city. He described a group home, per the zoning code, as a dwelling that houses more than three unrelated people and said permitted group homes must meet specific criteria and fire-code compliance.
When Council member Adams asked whether group homes are required to register and how many exist, John Michael responded that they do have to register and estimated the number as "2 or 4, maybe 6," noting he could not immediately locate the earlier legislation establishing the rules. Several council members observed the city has reached its cap on permitted group homes.
John Michael referenced prior legislation and special counsel Tim Burke's work drafting the rules but said the current file could not be located during the meeting. Council members and the law director emphasized that compliance with the Ohio fire code and zoning definitions governs the status and limits of group homes.
The transcript does not record any new ordinance or vote on group-home policy at this meeting; the exchange was a request for clarification and background rather than a formal action.
