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Council tables proposed zoning changes for group homes and boarding houses after public hearing
Summary
Planning staff proposed adding group homes and boarding houses to the land-use chart with Specific Use Permit (SUP) requirements and separation rules; after lengthy council discussion about neighborhood impacts and statutory protections for licensed group homes, the council moved to table the item for a workshop and additional review.
LaShayla Jones, assistant director of planning and zoning, presented a proposed text amendment to the zoning code to add definitions and land-use entries for group homes and boarding houses, require Specific Use Permits in certain single-family districts, require reasonable-accommodation application review, and set a $500 fee for reasonable-accommodation applications.
Jones said the proposal would also apply a separation requirement to both uses (staff proposed 1,600 feet; the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended some separation and discussed a figure as large as 5,000 feet). She said the change is intended to close a gap between state-licensed group homes (six or more residents) and smaller boarding arrangements that have caused neighborhood problems.
Council members and members of the public raised concerns. The mayor and several council members summarized past local experience with boarding homes and group facilities, citing neighborhood disruption and worries about conditions. The city attorney explained the legal distinction between state-licensed group homes (protected under law) and unlicensed boarding operations; council members asked for a legal memo and clear policy guardrails.
After an extended exchange, Councilmember Pennebaker moved to table the ordinance and hold a workshop for more study; the motion was seconded and approved. Council requested staff bring back a workshop that clarifies which zoning districts are affected, the SUP process, possible separation metrics, enforcement tools and how state law affects the city’s regulatory authority.
