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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFRIENDSHIP HOMES, INC - GROUP HOME - 32-88 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORT W/ATTACHMENTSITEM NO. 15 PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MEETING OF STAFF REPORT PROJECT: Friendship Homes, Inc. Group Home - 1312 East Pitkin - #32-88. APPLICANT: Dorothy Stout, Director OWNER: Sue F. Gwynn 1312 East Pitkin 412 S. Howes Fort Collins, CO 80524 Fort Collins, CO 80521 PROJECT PLANNER: Debbie deBesche PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Request for a group home for a maximum of four elderly residents, located at 1312 East Pitkin, zoned R-L, Low Density Residen- tial. RECOMMENDATION: Approval with conditions EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is a request for a group home for four elderly residents, plus staff, in the R-L, low density residential zone district. The City's Zoning Ordinance provides a list of requirements for the review of group homes including minimum separation requirements from other group homes, maximum number of residents for minimum lot size, authorization of a governmental agency, compatibility of architectural design with the character of the surrounding neighborhood, and the review of the type and maximum number of residents allowed in such group home. The proposed group home will consist of four elderly residents, and will be staffed by primarily one individual (Dorothy Stout) with a registered nurse which is employed part-time. It is staff's findings that the proposed group home lot meets the criteria of the Sec. 29-475 of the City Code (Group home regulation; special review) and therefore recommends approval with conditions which address the type and operation of the home. OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT 300 LaPorte Ave. • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 • (303) 221-6750 SERVICES, PLANNING DEPARTMENT Friendship Group Homes#32-88 P & Z Meeting - May 23, 1988 Page 2 COMMENTS: 1. Background. The surrounding zoning and land uses are as follows: N: R-H; Poudre Valley Hospital S: R-L; Single family residence E: R-L; Single family residence W: R-L; Single family residence In 1981, the City adopted group home regulations which sought to provide for the placement of a variety of group homes as well as establish reasonable requirements with respect to the licensing, separation of group homes, and impact on the neighborhood. In December of 1987 the City amended the regula- tions to include additional review criteria for group homes. The special review procedures do not require a rezoning. Rather, group homes are considered a legitimate use in the zone, subject to a special review hearing, by the Planning and Zoning Board, for the purpose of approving, denying, or approving with conditions the application for a group home must take place. If approved, the board shall establish the type of group home permitted and the maximum num- ber of residents allowed. 2. Review Criteria: Group homes in the R-L zone shall conform to the lot area and separation requirements as follows: 1. Maximum number of residents, excluding supervisors, for minimum lot size (6,000 s.f.) is 3. An additional 1,500 square feet of lot area is required for each resident over 3. Staff Response: This project proposes 4 elderly individuals which would require 7,500 square feet of lot area. The lot at 1312 East Pitkin is 8,250 square feet. 2. The minimum separation requirement between any other group home in the R-L zone district is 1,500 feet. Staff Response: According to the City's Group Home location map this site is greater than 1,500 feet from another group home. The closest group home is approximately 3,500 feet away, which is twice that of the minimum separation requirement. 3. Other issues for consideration by the P&Z include an analysis of the following: a. Building height; b. Building setbacks; c. Building coverage of the lot; Friendship Group Homes#32-88 P & Z Meeting - May 23, 1988 Page 3 d. External signage; e. Traffic and parking; f. Compatibility of architectural design with the character of the surround- ing neighborhood; g. Whether the types of treatment activities or the rendering of services proposed to be conducted upon the premises is in a manner substan- tially inconsistent with the activities otherwise permitted in the zoning district. Staff Response: The house at 1312 Pitkin is existing and the applicant is not planning any additions or remodeling to the outside of the home. Therefore, the building height, setbacks, building coverage and architectural design will remain as is. The applicant has indicated that there will be no signage and the elderly individuals will not drive or store automobiles on the property. In general the types of activities which are expected with this group home will be consistent with activities associated within the neighborhood and otherwise permitted in the R-L zone district. 3. Other Issues: A. The Planning and Zoning Board must look only at whether the group home would comply with the codes of the City. Many subdivisions are also subject to private covenants which may deal with the issue of whether a group home is permissible, or if permissible, how it may be operated. The City should not become involved in the question of whether private covenants have been com- plied with or not. B. If active and continuous operations are not carried on in a group home which was approved pursuant to the special review provisions as identified for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months, the group home use shall be considered to have been abandoned. The group home use can be reinstated only after obtaining approval from the Planning and Zoning Board as outlined in the City Code. 4. Neighborhood Meeting On Tuesday, March 1, 1988, at Riffenburg Elementary School, the Staff held a neighborhood meeting on the proposed group home. Approximately 34 residents attended the meeting. A neighborhood meeting summary is included in this Staf f Report. RECOMMENDATION The proposed group home satisfies the requirements of the City Code relating to Group Homes and the size, scale and overall appearance will be consistent with the general character of the neighborhood. The proposed Group Home is located greater than 1,500 feet from any other Group Home. Staff recommends approval of this request for Friendship Group Home with the following condi- tions: Friendship Group HomZ—#32-88 P & Z Meeting - May 23, 1988 Page 4 a. The home is limited to four (4) elderly individuals. b. Maximum of two (2) staff persons working in the home at any one time. c. The elderly residents would not be allowed to drive nor store automo- biles on the property. d. The home will be restricted to the site plan submitted and there will be no exterior changes, other than minor facial changes (new awning, correct a porch defect, etc.). e. There will be no signage for the group home. f. The yard and landscaping shall be maintained in an orderly manner. 9 ■ I: •l• .� e CS PROPERTY ADDRESS: 1312 E. PITKIN STREET LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 12, HIGHLANDER HEIGHTS FIRST SUBDIVISION, CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO. WPROVEMENT LOCATION PLAT - - __ -__ -T, �I�• lot 12, :._a..6eei -�,t•�irst . ��. _ _eio �it1r 0= 'Ort �011_�.�, Cov..nty cf iari--er, Statc- or vc10-4c,. Land Title CoT:.-:it .ert .'o. 4-07009 . =or: Universal Lending Flood Certificate: This property is not located in a flood hazard area in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Dev�.A opment Flood Insurance Rate Map. N Fs4D3 t' E —t5.00 lo• uTti. EsM T. r U.Y 14. "g a 1 STo&y Fft.4 e 2t rBQtuc d eSM,'T. vi- N l3 l2 N (S' N U sET sa uc NV11e1R 15278 PtTt«N ST. I� ..SVR`��. IMPROVEMENT LOCATION CERTIFICATE hereby certify that the improvements on the described parcel, except utility connections, are entirely within the boundaries of said parcel• except as shown, that there are no encroachments upon the described premises by Improvements on any adjoining premises.excepi as Indicated, and that there Is no apparent evidence or sign of any easement crossing or burdening any part of said parcel, except as noted. I further certify that this Improvement location certificate is not a land survey plat or Improvement survey plat, and that It Is not to be relied upon for the establishment of fence, building or othe, future Improvements lines. HALL, WALTERS & DURHAM, INC. PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS 325 EAST 7TH STREET SUITE E lozado L.S. 15278 LOVELAND, COLORADO 80537 (303) 663-1171 A a.1 t 77, hC t" V.' h l t f l N" ►� t 1' = J' -23-8r ;_L 1 �F.1!:, = Or : ,O_! _':` , �.0_OraG0 J � • PROGRAM DESCRIPTION FOR FRIENDSHIP HOMES Re: 1312 E. Pitkin The Friendship Home is a Board and Care group home designed for the elderly, providing 24-hour care for a maximum of four (4) resi- dents. A resident manager, Dorothy Stout, occupies the home. Dorothy is licensed for Board and Care for the Elderly under the State of Colorado. Relief people, including a Registered Nurse, are employed part-time to give the resident manager time off and, in the case of the nurse, to set up the medications for the resi- dents. The Friendship Home provides three nutritious meals and snacks every day. As appropriate, the residents are encouraged to exer- cise, to socialize, and to engage in hobbies and activities. Visits to the doctor, visitation with relatives, and human care concerns and therapies are coordinated. The rooms are cleaned, laundry done, and personal care and cleanliness attended to. Our overall goal is to provide a healthy, positive environment for the residents in a "home" setting. Every effort is made to keep each resident functioning as an indpendent person. • Department of Human Development Rena Mackrill, Executive Director A Commitment To Progress 525 W. Oak Street Fort Collins, Colorado 80521-2697 221-7430 LARIMER COUNTY COLORADO DATE: May 23, 1988 TO: Planning and Zoning Board / FROM: Susan R. Pedersen, Director `� 4 Larimer County Human Development Office on Aging RE: Hearing for variance for 1312 E. Pitkin. As I have done at previous hearings, as Director of the Office on Aging, I wish to go on record in support of the board and care concept as an housing alternative for senior citizens. The success of these homes is the small number of residents receiving personalized care in residential settings. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Courtlyn W. Hotchkiss C. Howard Zollner Daryle W. Klassen District I District 11 District III 0 1500 Patton St. Ft. Collins, CO 80524 May 23, 1988 Planning and Zoning Board City of Fort Collins, Colorado Ladies and Gentlemen: I am a homeowner located near a proposed zoning variance: Friendship Homes, Inc. -- Group Home. Case No. 32-88. I am opposed to this project. We are a modest residential neighborhood totally surrounded by institutional, commercial, and industrial property. It is inappropriate to invade our neighborhood with additional commercial projects -- however laudable the motive. I plan to uphold our neighborhood covenants against unallowed commercial uses. I will definitely go to court, if necessary, to preserve and uphold these covenants, and the property values that emanate from them. Sincerely, I May 19, 1988 -j r�� 2 01988 � City of Fort Collins Planning Office 300 LaPorte Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80521 re: Review Procedure for Certificate of Occupancy for Elderly Group Home located at 1312 East Pitkin. Review Staff Members; It has recently come to my attention that the owner(s) of the home located at 1312 East Pitkin wish to gain approval through the planning review process for permission to operate a Group Home for the Elderly at that location. While it was explained to me that this process has little to do with the operation of this business as much as the appropriateness and compliance of the property to ordinance, I felt you should know what I know of the people you are dealing with. The operator of this business is Mrs. Dorothy Stout. She was a former business associate of mine. I originally set her up in business in 1985 at my board and care home at 1511 Remington Street. Within two years her mismanagement of that business caused forclosure of that property and my takeover of the business. As this all pertains to the decision before you, I point out the fact that Mrs. Stout was in gross violation of the variance requirements at the time I retook control of the business in 1987. It was stipulated that the furnace was to be enclosed for any of the basement bedrooms to be occupied. We found two residents occupying that area of the home in conditions I would consider substandard for their safety or comfort. The furnace was not enclosed. Aside from that, we found the home to be very dirty with inadequate food supplies. Medicine and resident records were nonexistent. And it was not unusual to find the home unattended at any given time. While there are plans in the making by the State Health Department to remedy this type of thing, funding has not come about and those licensing efforts are presently on hold. I am proud to say that for the most part, the homes presently operating in Larimer County do subscribe to a draft of minimum operational standards proposed by the Health Department. However, these proposed standards have been offered for several years and Mrs. Stout was well aware of them at the time she was in business before. It distresses me that there is no effective way of keeping someone like this from entering this industry. Once licensure is in place I must assume there will be such a method. Until that time, I sincerely hope you can find it within your scope to make some provision for elimination of future problems. Please feel free to contact me for documentation or verification you might need. 'sincerely _✓<�-� ou ..An ersen 223-6500 Fort ` May 179 1988 Fort Collins Pl�---nninM and zonmi_n.�- board Dear Sir: in remarls to case number 32-88. The Ans saver is no. Always somebody w!;Lnting somethin r for nothing. They c an go someti•?here else and take their frirds'^.i'J there. Sincerely ,yours �l Hilderm?n Jr.,