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118 <br />cot] <br />MEMORANDUM CA <br />TO: Lee County Board of Commissioners <br />Lee County Planning Board <br />John Crompton, County Manager <br />FROM: Marshall Downey, Assistant Director of Community Development <br />DATE: Sept. 1, 2008 <br />REF: Consideration of an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) <br />regarding Group Homes/Residential Care Facilities <br />Back in the spring of this year, the City of Sanford had a proposal for a "Level 4" Group <br />Home to be located in the 700 block of Hawkins Avenue that is predominately residential in <br />nature. This project generated quite a bit of discussion about how group homes are regulated <br />and how the UDO may need to be reviewed and updated. <br />Please note that for the purposes of the UDO that a group home is a facility intended to house <br />more than six persons. Any such facility that houses six or less persons is defined as a <br />"family care home" and, as such, is required to be permitted in all residential zoning districts <br />with the only rule being a spacing requirement between homes. The rule changes as being <br />discussed tonight would not apply to these smaller family care homes. <br />Currently, group homes fall within the category of "Nursing, Supervision, Adult Care Homes, <br />Group Care Facilities and other rehabilitative services". As such, group homes are currently <br />permitted in all residential zoning districts with the granting of a Special Use Permit by the <br />Board of Adjustment. Additionally, group homes are permitted by right (staff approval only) <br />in the: <br />• MF-12 Multi-family Residential <br />0 0-1 Office-Institutional <br />• C-1 Light Commercial-Office <br />• C-2 General Commercial <br />• HC Highway Commercial <br />As discovered during the review of the proposed facility on Hawkins Avenue, there are four <br />(4) different classifications for group homes. A Level IV facility is a facility that is intended <br />to provide care and rehabilitative services for persons with the most severe emotional/mental <br />needs. Level W facilities are "lock-down" facilities wherein the residents are not free to <br />leave the facility without supervision. Levels 1-111 are scaled accordingly with severity of <br />need increasing with each level. <br />