Planning staff recommends approval of special‑exception residential care home at 506 S. Regulator Drive

Planning staff recommended that the City of Cambridge Planning Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Board of Appeals for Application BOA 26‑0001, a Special Exception request by Damion FFolkes to operate a Residential Care Home at 506 South Regulator Drive in the Longboat Estates subdivision.

The proposed facility is a small intermediate care institution expected to house between three and six residents in a single‑family structure. The staff report explains that a Residential Care Home is classified as an Intermediate Care Institution under Maryland law and is subject to local provisions set out in the city’s Unified Development Code and Health‑General statute references in the staff report.

Staff concluded the proposal meets the Board of Appeals’ standards for a Special Exception. "Staff agrees that the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the use at this location will not endanger public health, safety, or general welfare," the report states. Staff also found the use would be harmonious with neighborhood character and had no evidence that property values would be substantially diminished; staff noted other Cambridge neighborhoods with similar uses have seen property values climb.

Staff recommended one specific condition: "Prior to receiving a Zoning Verification Certificate the applicant must show proof that 506 S. Regulator Drive has been accredited and licensed for occupancy as an Intermediate Care Facility by the State of Maryland." The report also clarifies that a Residential Care Home is not a Group Home, Recovery Residence, or Halfway House and pointed to Md. Code Ann., Health‑General §§ 19‑307(b) and 19‑318 for statutory classification and licensing guidance.

Commissioners discussed the UDC and whether a variance might be required in situations where a prior structure was removed from a lot of record; planning staff advised that the removal of the previous structure likely constitutes a substantial change that would make a variance necessary, but Commissioners William (Bill) Craig and George Brown disagreed with that interpretation. Planning Director Brian D. Herrmann said staff would take the comments under advisement.

Next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Appeals, which has authority to grant or deny the Special Exception and to impose conditions or safeguards. The applicant must demonstrate state licensure as required in the staff condition before a zoning verification certificate will be issued.