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Tupelo council adopts ordinance clarifying congregate‑living categories and hearing rules
Summary
The council approved an ordinance that defines three tiers of congregate living, clarifies zoning and notification procedures, and aligns local code with building and fire standards; staff said the rule does not change Airbnb treatment.
The Tupelo City Council voted to adopt an ordinance that clarifies how ‘congregate living’ is defined and regulated in the city.
Tanner, a planning staff member, told the council the ordinance “marries up the fire code, the building code, and our zoning regulations” and breaks congregate living into three categories: (1) small households (up to five unrelated residents) treated like single-family units; (2) dwellings housing six to 16 residents with on-site services or staffed supervision; and (3) institutional-type facilities with 17 or more residents and continuous staffing.
Tanner said the measure requires site-plan standards for landscaping, buffering and parking and clarifies which zones allow each category; in most residential zones congregate living above the smallest tier will require planning-committee review and public hearings with neighbor notifications within 500 feet.
Councilmembers asked whether the ordinance would alter fire or building code requirements and whether Airbnbs were affected. Tanner said it does not change existing fire or building-code obligations and that Airbnbs remain treated as rental units under the city’s rental program. The planning staff emphasized there is no grandfathering provision for facilities that do not meet current codes; noncompliant facilities would be subject to existing code enforcement.
Following questions, the council approved the ordinance.
