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Council approves conditional use permit for girls’ group home at 749 East 32nd
Summary
Fremont City Council approved Resolution 2026-085 to authorize a girls-only group home at 749 East 32nd, adding a whereas/enforcement clause to allow revocation if operational conditions are violated; the vote was 7–1. The decision followed detailed staff review and testimony from the operator and community partners.
The Fremont City Council on June 9 approved a conditional use permit to convert the former memory-care facility at 749 East 32nd Street into a residential group home for girls.
Planning Director Jeff Ray told the council the application, submitted by Dave Mitchell on behalf of the property owner, had been reviewed by the Planning Commission and by city police and planning staff, who worked with the applicant to add operational conditions to mitigate community impacts. "Before you we have a conditional use permit for 749 East 32nd Street that was submitted by Dave Mitchell on behalf of the property owner," Ray said, describing prior use of the building and the safeguards staff and police recommended.
Council members pressed for clearer enforcement language. After discussion, the council amended the resolution to include a whereas statement specifying that violations of permit conditions could lead to revocation or other action; the amendment passed unanimously. The council then approved Resolution 2026-085 as amended on a 7–1 vote; the transcript does not record the dissenting member’s name.
The applicant, Cynthia Cusk, identified herself as the clinical director and said she has prior group-home experience and lives in Fremont. Cusk said referrals would come from parents or agencies such as the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and that residents would be chosen based on program fit; "if you have two students with equal qualifications, the Fremont student would get preference," she said, noting a priority for reunification with families when appropriate.
Council discussion focused heavily on education and special-education implications. Members asked whether students placed at the home would have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that follow them to school, who would cover education-related costs not fully reimbursed by state and federal aid, and whether local schools have the staffing capacity to support additional special-education students. Staff and the applicant said costs and staffing needs would be handled through existing funding mechanisms and case-by-case placement decisions, but council members emphasized the need for careful screening and ongoing coordination with the school district.
Developer Dave Mitchell and partner Jquila Yarro spoke in support, with Mitchell stressing landlord vetting and operational safeguards and Yarro offering lived-experience endorsement of the proposed program and its screening process.
The resolution requires the operator to follow the stated operations in the conditional-use approval and gives the city a process to review and, if warranted, amend or revoke the permit for violations. The council approved the measure after the recorded amendment to clarify enforcement.
The council closed the public hearing and approved the permit; implementation details such as phased occupancy (operators indicated they would start small and scale up) and the city’s monitoring process were left to post-approval staff oversight and any future council action.
The council moved on to other business following the vote.
