Fremont council approves conditional use permit for girls’ group home at 749 East 32nd

The City of Fremont Council voted 7–1 on June 9 to approve a conditional use permit for a girls’ group home at 749 East 32nd, adopting an amendment that explicitly states the permit may be revoked for violations.

Planning Director Jeff Ray told the council the property was well suited to residential therapeutic services and that planning commission had recommended approval. "We went very thoroughly through what their operations were going to be and what their operations, more importantly, were not going to be," Ray said, adding that proposed operating conditions were incorporated into the resolution and that the police department supported mitigation measures.

The applicant, Cynthia Cusick, identified herself as the clinical director who would be on-site and described screening and reunification priorities. "We definitely will start with one and then go to two and three," Cusick said of occupancy, noting the building holds capacity for 16 but the program intends a phased start. She also said the facility would accept referrals from parents or the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services but would not be limited to a DHHS contract.

Council members raised multiple concerns before the vote, including whether preference would be given to Fremont youth, how students’ IEPs (individualized education programs) would be accommodated, and how enforcement would work if the facility violated permit conditions. Cusick said program admissions would prioritize a good fit and that, when qualifications are equal, a Fremont child would be favored to help with reunification. Council members with education backgrounds pressed whether the school district would absorb additional costs for special-education services; the applicant said screening would review IEP needs and that the program would work toward continuity and reunification when appropriate.

Council amended the draft resolution to include a whereas statement making clear that violation of permit terms could lead to revocation under the city’s Unified Development Code procedures; that amendment carried unanimously before the final permit vote. The council adopted Resolution 2026-085, authorizing the conditional use permit as amended.

The approval includes the operation and enforcement conditions described in the city packet; staff noted that any future alleged violations would be handled through the process set out in the city code and could result in revocation or further council action.

Next steps: the applicant may begin operations under the conditions in the approved CUP; enforcement or modification would follow UDC procedures if the city documents violations.