Board recommends wider buffer for recovery residences, backs 3,000‑foot spacing

Planning staff introduced an LDR text amendment to define and regulate 'recovery residences' and to bring the city's code into compliance with Senate Bill 954. Scott Rodriguez of Planning and Zoning said the amendment treats recovery residences as a residential use, requires certification, and establishes a 1,000‑foot separation distance with an administrative waiver process for practical cases.

The proposal prompted extended discussion. Several board members and residents expressed concern that a 1,000‑foot separation could still allow clustering of facilities in mixed‑use or residential neighborhoods. One board member argued the city should add more discretion or recommend a greater separation distance. A committee member with a background in substance‑abuse services urged caution about stigmatizing residents: “These are people who are trying to get sober and turn their lives around,” they said, and recommended the board hear the full presentation and consider measured recommendations rather than dismiss the use outright.

After debate the board made a formal recommendation to the City Commission. A member moved to recommend adoption of the proposed LDR amendment with the exception of increasing the separation distance to 3,000 feet; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said the Planning and Zoning Board had passed the text unanimously the prior week and that staff will draft the board's recommendations for the City Commission's first reading.