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Commission grants reasonable accommodation for Oxford House at 1035 S. 12th, waives parking requirement
Summary
Planning staff recommended and the commission approved a reasonable‑accommodation request to recognize an Oxford House as a collaborative living facility for up to eight residents and to reduce the on‑site parking requirement to zero; commissioners recorded a 6–0 vote.
The planning commission approved a request for reasonable accommodation March 18 to allow an Oxford House at 1035 South 12th Street to function as a collaborative living facility housing up to eight unrelated residents in recovery and to waive the site’s off‑street parking requirement.
Staff attorney Jacob Schlange explained that individuals recovering from substance use disorder are considered disabled under federal fair‑housing law, which requires the city to make reasonable accommodations to zoning rules to afford disabled persons equal housing opportunities. The house sits on a small R‑7 lot; under code, collaborative living‑facility occupancy is determined by lot area and requires off‑street parking (one stall per two residents). The applicant said residents generally do not own cars and that the site is transit accessible.
Counsel Nicole Miller said the Oxford House has occupied the address for nearly 10 years without incident and that previous requests of this type had been approved when justified. Commissioners found the accommodation appropriate and voted to approve the request. The motion passed 6–0.
