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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJACOB CENTER (703 PETERSON) - MODIFICATION OF STANDARD - 36-99 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - MODIFICATION REQUESTPage 4 703 Peterson stated that there is a need for additional assistance. Young adults that run away from home or are kicked out of their homes become threatened with homelessness if there are not services to address their developmental issues. It is also stated that based on discussions with agencies directly involved with providing services to the homeless and an assessment of homeless data provided by these groups, there is a need in Fort Collins for "coordination of treatment, counseling, training and education programs and services to address the prevention of homelessness." Our project will coordinate all services needed for young adults threatened with homelessness. 4. Appendix A of the City of Fort Collins Consolidated Plan also states that facilities that are currently working with young adults that are threatened with homelessness are not able to keep up with the demand. Larico states that "demand is growing for their services". Youth S.A.F.E. also works with young adults that are threatened with homelessness. They are a 17 bed facility that served over 350 young adults in 1994. Their facility "is constantly operating at capacity". Larimer County Department of Social Service assists individuals and families with social problems which they are unable to deal with. The Child and Family Services program focuses on assisting families and children through a wide variety of protective and self-sufficiency initiatives. Our project currently works with Social Service to address these issues but is unable to keep up with the demand. If you have any questions re ng is project please feel free to contact me at 484-8427. KD. Painter M.A. gram Director Page 3 703 Peterson town and can easily access the bus routes from this location. 2. Article 1.2.2 (F) of the Land Use Code states that another one of the purposes of the Land Use Code is "encouraging patterns of land use which decrease trip length of automobile travel and encourage trip consolidation". Our proposal does not negatively impact this purpose because young adults that will reside at 703 Peterson will be able to walk to Centennial High School or Lesher Junior High, they will be able to walk to the office which is three blocks away for appointments and they will be able to ride the bus to other appointments. If they are unable to walk or ride the bus they will be transported by the Foster Parent in a "car pool" manner which utilizes only one automobile for all young adults living at 703 Peterson. 3. Article 1.2.2 (I) of the Land Use Code states that another one of the purposes of the Land Use Code is "minimizing the adverse environmental impacts of development". Our proposal does not negatively impact this purpose because using the property at 703 Peterson for a small Group Home prevents us from having to build a new facility located in a new development area that meets the structural needs of young adults. 703 Peterson is a "house" that has a homely feel to it because of its location and age. A new building will lack both of these qualities that are needed. 4. Article 1.2.2 (M) of the Land Use Code states that another one of the purposes of the Land Use code is "ensuring that development proposals are sensitive to the character of existing neighborhoods". Our proposal does not negatively impact this purpose because we will not be structurally changing any part of 703 Peterson because it is build for what we intent to use it for. There will be no new construction or remodeling, only routine upkeep and maintenance. c. modification will substantiaIly address important community needs specified and e�tir�_ deTd and described in the city's compre�l�mMLe pl ,To *d pha-, ordinance or resolution. 1. The granting of this project would substantially address the important community need of serving young adults that are having problems. It is a city-wide concern having young adults in our community that are struggling with growing up. For some young adults, if their developmental needs are not addressed they usually go out and create problems in the community until their behavior has to be addressed. Social Service does not have enough resources to meet the community's need to serve young adults that are struggling (Letter of support from Larimer County Social Service available if requested). 2. This project meets the Comprehensive Plan of Housing, Policy HSG-1.5 "Special Needs Housing" for young adults that would most likely be running the streets if they were not placed in a small Group Home. As stated in the letter from Social Service there are not enough Group Homes to meet the needs of the youth that are living in the Fort Collins area, 3. Appendix A of the City of Fort Collins Consolidated Plan states that one of the Key Issues is "Expansion of homeless services in the community --in particular -- prevention services, rehabilitation services and services for the homeless families". In the section on "Needs of homeless and persons threatened with homelessness it is Page 2 703 Peterson 2. The profile of young adults that are placed at 703 Peterson are usually young adults that are in conflict with their parents or are depressed and are threatend with homelessness as a result of these problems. Their profiles are usually not of criminals that commit crimes against their neighbors. Their profile needs to be of character to fit into a "family" system and not a "treatment center". Young adults that are highly unstable are not allowed at this residence and are referred to more secure settings. 3. The definition of a "Group Home" in 3.8.6 Group Home Regulations does not clarify major differences between us and the existing Residential Treatment Center known as Turning Point. Turning Point has 20 young adults living on the property 24 hours a day seven days a week and another 24 that attend day treatment at this same property 5 days a week totaling 44 young adults at one property. We are looking at increasing the number of young adults we serve from 4 to 8, averaging around 6 at any one time. The population that serve is also very different. Turning point serves young adults that are comming out of lock facilities and our population is more preventative in nature of young adults that are just starting to get into the system. The young adults living at 703 Peterson will be going to regular public schools like other young adults in the neighborhood and will be receiving their treatment at our main office and not at 703 Peterson thus not having much of an impact on the property. The only time that our young adults will be at 703 Peterson is at the same time that other young adults in the neighborhood will be home. 4. We are only asking that the number of young adults increase two to four from what is currently being served. This number is not large enough to substantiate a measurable negative impact to the community and the neighborhood. We have learned from our experience of managing other small Group Homes across Colorado that eight or less young adults in a Group Home is the most functional number. We have had as many as sixteen in one Group Home which proved to be problematic. 5. This plan will protect public interest because it will function like a large family in a small Group Home setting. The other Group Home that is within 1000 feet is a Residential Treatment Center, Turning Point, using a medial model of treatment were you have rotating "staff' rather then permanent "foster parents" living with the young adults. Our model is set up like a family and not a Treatment Center. The Foster Parent that supervises the young adults lives at the home 24 hours a day as her primary residence and sets the expectations with the young adults as family expectations and not treatment expectations. The young adults residing in the home have chores they must complete, family activities they participate in, curfews, and behavioral expectations to meet just as any other family would have. This small Group Home resembles a family setting, not a treatment facility and therefore we are asking for something that does not already exist within the 1000 feet. B. The modification does not impair the intent and mtrnose of the Land use code. 1. Article 1.2.2 (C) of the Land Use Code states that one of the purposes of the Land Use Code is "fostering the safe, efficient and economic use of the land, the city's transportation infrastructure, and other public facilities and services". Our proposal does not negatively impact this purpose because young adults that are living at 703 Peterson will be efficiently and economically utilizing the transportation infrastructure and other public facilities and services because they will be centrally located to down Jacob Family Services Licensed Child Placement Agency November 22, 1999 Mr. Troy W. Jones City Planner Jacob Center North Current Planning Department 633 Remington Street 281 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 p O. Box 580 (970) 484-8427 Fax: 482-8713 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522-0580 Jacob Center East 1116 9th Street Greeley, CO 80631 (970) 352-2852 Fax: 3524428 Jacob Center Longmont 380 Main Street #221 Longmont, CO 80501 (303) 774.9837 Fax: 774-9837 RE: Request to modify code 3.8.6 of NCM Zone to allow 703 Peterson to be a small Group Home within 1000 feet of another Group Home. Dear Troy: The Jacob Center is a non-profit organization that provides Foster Care and Group Home services to young adults in the Fort Collins area that are in need of out -of -home placement. We have been in business for about 11 years and have managed Foster Homes and Group Homes along the front range region, from Colorado Springs to Wellington. We have a good track record of serving young adults for Social Service in Colorado. There is a growing need for services that address homeless issues for young adults. We are currently in the process of trying to obtain a small Group Home License for the property at 703 Peterson to address this growing need. In order to accomplish this we need to request a modification of code 3.8.6 because this property is within 1000 feet of a Residential Treatment Center known as Turning Point. Turning Point serves a total of 44 young adults in their facility, 20 residential that live on grounds and 24 day treatment. The 703 Peterson residence is currently a Foster Home that is serving four young adults. We would like to get a small Group Home License so we can serve between two to four more young adults. We will not serve more then eight young adults at 703 Peterson because we have learned from our experience that this is the most functional number to have at a Group Home. Average number served will be six. We believe that this is an acceptable . modification and should be granted according to Modification of Standards 2.8.2 (H) because it is not detrimental to the public good, doesn't impair the intent and purpose of the Land Use Code, and would substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly defined and described in the City's comprehensive Plan, adopted policy, ordinance or resolution. Reasoning is as follows: A. Modification is not detrimental to the Whe god. �� 1. We have had a Licensed Foster Home that has been serving 4 young adults at 703 Peterson since July 6, 1997 and there have been no police contact of any young adults that have lived at 703 Peterson for property damage to neighboring houses. I believe that this is proof that our Foster Parent is able to monitor and supervise these young adults in a professional manner so that the public good is not negatively impacted. It is a common lay person Myth that placing small numbers of young adults in one place will increase problems for a neighborhood anymore then any other group of individuals.