Laserfiche WebLink
- M <br />-- Bathroom Facilities. A full bathroom with toilet, <br />sink and tub or shower shall be provided for each <br />five (5) residents. An additional toilet and sink <br />shall be provided for each additional group of four <br />(4) persons or less. <br />5. To avoid an undue concentration of group care facilities <br />in one area, all such facilities shall be located at <br />least 1,200 feet apart, measured from property line to <br />property line. <br />6. If located in a single family area, the home shall have <br />the appearance of a single family home. Structural <br />alterations shall be of such a nature as to preserve the <br />residential character of the building. <br />7. The facility shall satisfy all applicable off-street <br />parking requirements of Section 24. The facility shall <br />meet or exceed all open space requirements for the <br />respective zoning district. <br />8. The maximum capacity of such facilities shall not exceed <br />the applicable number permitted by the Department of <br />Health and Rehabilitative Services. <br />The above criteria detail those characteristics which are to be <br />considered when reviewing a residential center group home for <br />approval as a special exception use. As in all residential uses, <br />density is an important consideration. For group homes, however, <br />a density bonus provision was incorporated in the zoning code to <br />allow group homes to have more units than would normally be <br />allowed by zoning district regulations. This provision was <br />established to reflect the lower intensity of group homes, e.g. <br />smaller units, fewer vehicle trips, and fewer persons per unit. <br />The units were anticipated to be small and the clientele dependent <br />on the facility. In this case, however, the proposed units are <br />large in size (some of the units exceed 2,200 square feet) and <br />designed like any other multi -family project. The staff considers <br />this proposed development to be comparable to an apartment complex <br />with attached restaurant. <br />According to the group home density bonus provision, the fourteen <br />acres proposed for group home use could accommodate the following <br />number of residents (Sec. 25.1,f,(d),31: <br />6 units per acre (RM -6) x 2.0 persons per dwelling unit <br />x 1i the normal density = 18 people per acre. <br />18 people x 14 acres = 252 people. <br />The maximum number of residents for the proposed residential <br />center therefore totals two hundred fifty-two (252). <br />It is the staff's position that the proposed residential center <br />complex should be substantially modified to conform to the intent <br />of the ordinance. The staff feels that the units should be <br />reduced in size and full kitchen facilities should be eliminated <br />from the units, so that the complex meets the requirements of <br />providing a family living environment for the residents. Since <br />the special exception use process allows the Board of County <br />Commissioners to impose any additional conditions to ensure <br />compatibility of the proposed use with surrounding property, these <br />conditions can be imposed. Besides those conditions, staff <br />recommends a program of tree planting along that portion of Phase <br />II (Residential Center Group Home) that abuts an established <br />residential neighborhood. The planting of additional trees will <br />ensure that the proposed group home will be screened from the <br />adjoining residential neighborhood. <br />37 <br />BOOK 6 F,,"F.� <br />