Title
Consider and take action on an ordinance amending Chapter 125 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City, related to the regulation of Group Residential Facilities (Director of Planning and Development)
Background:
Staff receives routine inquires related to various congregate living arrangements including assisted living facilities, continuing care facilities, and community homes. The City currently has limited standards on group homes. Group homes are presently categorized as Residential Care Facilities by three broadly defined uses, (1) small residential care facilities, (2) residential care rooming facilities, and (3) residential care apartments.
Late last year staff received a series of inquiries regarding residential care facilities, including halfway houses and “sober homes”. These inquiries illustrated that the current ordinance is broad with limited performance standards. This proposed amendment will provide for additional standards to better protect the residential character of neighborhoods.
Project Summary:
This amendment would remove the Residential Care Facilities category and replace it with a Group Residential Facilities category. This category includes several specific uses which better define the wide variety of configurations that group homes can take. State and Federal laws limit the regulations that can be placed on certain residential facilities, such as homes for disabled residents which include individuals recovering from chemical dependency. The disabled group dwelling use covers these protected classes and is permitted in most zoning districts with a separation requirement of one-half mile from another disabled group dwelling.
In contrast, other group residential facilities such as homeless shelters and halfway houses have limited legal protections. These uses would be limited to industrial districts and have separation requirements from parks and schools, as well as a separation requirement from each other. I...
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