Fremont council approves conditional use permit for girls’ group home at 749 E. 32nd with enforcement clause

The Fremont City Council on June 9 approved resolution 2026-085, authorizing a conditional use permit for a girls-only group home at 749 East 32nd Street and adding a clear enforcement clause stating the permit may be revoked for violations of the conditions specified in the permit.

Planning Director Jeff Ray told the council the request was reviewed and recommended by the Planning Commission and that staff and the police department had worked with the applicant to define operations and mitigation measures. "We did have another meeting with the applicant and the police department to express some concerns that had been voiced within the community," Ray said, and staff incorporated operational conditions into the permit.

Applicant Cynthia Cusk, who identified herself as the proposed on-site clinical director and said she has prior group-home experience and a long career in mental-health practice, described intake and placement procedures and how referrals would be handled. "There is not a DHS contract per se," she said, adding that referrals could come from parents, DHS, or other sources and that the program would prioritize reunification with families when appropriate.

Council discussion centered on three practical issues: whether the facility would serve Fremont residents, educational services and special-education funding, and enforcement if the operator violated permit conditions. Council members pressed for clarity on educational supports, noting state and federal aid "does not pay 100% of all the cost" and the school district could face additional staffing and budget impacts for special education students placed at the site. The applicant said capacity at the site is 16, that the operator would phase in residents (starting with one and moving up incrementally), and that, "if two students have equal qualifications, the Fremont child would get preference," to help reunification.

Councilman Horner moved to approve the resolution as amended to add a whereas/enforcement statement; Councilman Jensen seconded. The motion carried (transcript recorded the result as seven yays and one irregular entry in the roll call). The council record includes the amendment clarifying that a conditional use permit may be extinguished for violation of the resolution; staff noted the city's Unified Development Code also contains enforcement language and that a separate UDC process would apply.

The council closed the public hearing after proponents, including developer representative Dave Mitchell and project partner Jquila Yarro, provided testimony about tenant screening and the therapeutic benefits of structured group care. Mitchell said the project had been vetted by the landlord and that the facility would use a rigorous application process to limit placements to those who fit the program; Yarro described personal lived experience with group-home services and said she has consulted on successful projects elsewhere.

Next steps: the conditional use permit takes effect as adopted; the council and staff indicated compliance will be monitored and that violations could prompt review, amendment, or revocation under the terms adopted and the city's UDC.