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Tamarac Planning Board considers ordinance to codify reasonable‑accommodation process for certified recovery residences
Summary
City staff presented a proposed amendment to the City of Tamarac land‑development code to implement a state‑required reasonable‑accommodation process for certified recovery residences; the board moved to forward the item to the city commission but no vote tally was recorded in the transcript. The board approved prior minutes 5‑0.
The City of Tamarac Planning Board considered a proposed amendment to the city’s land‑development code that would add a formal process for requests to accommodate certified recovery residences (CRRs) in zoning districts where residential uses are permitted. Assistant Director of Community Development Masur, the presenting staff member, said the change is mandated by state law and clarifies how applicants can seek reasonable accommodations under Fla. Stat. §397.487 and federal fair‑housing and disability laws.
Masur told the board the ordinance language establishes a new Section 10.3.6 to create a predictable application and review process. “It is state mandated,” Masur said, and the proposal is intended to ensure compliance with Senate Bill 954 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Masur said certified recovery residents “must be considered nontransient residential users,” meaning they have the same rights and uses as other residents where residential uses are allowed.
The staff presentation described the four levels of recovery residences recognized under state law — from peer‑run homes with no staff to residences operated by licensed treatment providers — and explained that certification is overseen by credentialing entities approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Masur said the city currently does not have any certified recovery residences but must adopt the accommodation procedure to comply with state requirements.
The ordinance as explained by staff would allow requests to be made orally or in writing, protect confidential medical information as permitted by law, and require the city manager or designee to issue a written decision within 60 days; Masur noted that under the proposed process a failure to respond within that period would be treated as approval. She also said administrative denials would be appealable to the planning board and then, if necessary, to the city commission, and that annual certification and ongoing review by the certifying body are part of the regulatory structure.
Board members asked staff about local experience and oversight. Masur said the city has no known certified recovery residences at this time, that the Florida Association of Recovery Residences and the Florida Department of Children and Families commonly handle certification, and that the city enforces local codes and would notify the certifying body if violations occurred. She also said the accommodation would apply across residential types, including single‑family and multiunit housing, and that operators are not required to post signs identifying a property as a recovery residence.
After discussion, a board member moved to forward the item “as written in our packet” to the city commission; the transcript records the motion and a second but does not include a vote tally or an explicit final vote in the provided excerpt. Earlier in the meeting the board approved minutes from the March 4, 2025 meeting, recorded as passing 5 to 0.
The staff recommendation and the ordinance language presented would send the proposed amendment to the city commission for first and second readings on the schedule described by staff; the planning board’s role is to forward a recommendation. The planning board adjourned at 09:26.
