By Trey Wood

Staff writer

Group homes are back on the agenda.

LaGrange City Council has called for a public hearing Aug. 10 on the proposed ordinance which would give the city more control over group residential and treatment facilities.

The proposal comes from a task force of residents appointed by council to draft an ordinance after council took steps to have the city regulate group homes.

The ordinance would separate two types of facilities, which house different groups of individuals.

A residential facility would be defined as “a dwelling shared by persons … who live together as a single housekeeping unit … in which staff persons provide care, education and participating in community activities for the residents with the primary goal enabling the residents to live as independently as possible.”

A treatment facility would be defined as “a dwelling unit which is used to provide assisted community living for persons with physical, mental, emotional, familial or social difficulties.”

Council felt it was important to separate the two types of facilities.

“(Group treatment facilities) would have to be licensed by the state agency,” said Alton West, director of community development. “And we are extending the distance requirements from 800 feet to 3,000 feet, and the decision behind that is that you won’t end up with two locations in the same neighborhood.”

Group residential facilities also would need approval through state agencies and be located at least 800 feet from any other group residential facility.

The close proximity of three group homes on Ridley Avenue and West Bacon Street had been a concern of neighbors.

Although the proposed ordinance allows group treatment facilities to be located in any zoning, the Board of Planning and Zoning felt R-1, residential, should be removed from the ordinance.

“The board kind of agreed with that. It should be taken out,” West said. “R-1 should not be a part of this ordinance, but allow it to exist in R-2 and R-3 if there are six or less (residents). If it’s more than six, then it goes to the C-1, C-3 and G-I.”

Both types of residential facilities also would have to get a special-use permit from the city. It would be reviewed by the planning board, then get approval from council.

“The state checks with us to see if their facility is in compliance with our ordinance,” City Manager Tom Hall said.

Within two years after receipt of the permit, facilities would be required to be accredited through Council on Accreditation for group living services or the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities through group home care. All other treatment facilities would have to receive accreditation by Jan. 1, 2013.

“We’re not going to be going into the facility to look at the staff and things of that nature, but these accrediting agencies will give us that assurance that the persons, the staff that are there meet their standards and can do the job that they say they can do,” West said.

Operators of group treatment facilities also would be required to submit a “good neighbor” plan which contains the facilities’ hours of operation; a designated staff member, telephone number and administrative procedure for neighborhood complaints and concerns; and a grounds maintenance plan.

“A good neighbor is basically saying if they continue to have incident after incident at the location, how they plan on mitigating that, what will they do and show us that plan if that’s the call,” West said.

The city-issued permits could be revoked based on violations of laws or ordinances regulating the group facilities. A hearing would be called and a decision made within 10 days.

“We’re talking primarily about group treatment facilities,” which may house residents associated with criminal activity, West said.

Group homes came to the spotlight after the Nov. 14 shooting death of Joseph “Peace” Boison, a clerk at the Shell Mart on Vernon Street. Christopher Caruso, 18, who is charged with the slaying, had been a resident of a group home on Ridley Avenue until leaving a month earlier.

That group home is one of two on Ridley Avenue and one nearby on West Bacon Street designed for residents who display sexually inappropriate behavior. All three homes are owned by the same for-profit organization.

The panel was formed after City Council in December proposed an ordinance that would set zoning standards for all future group homes, require current and future group homes to purchase licenses, and give the city some control over the homes. After two heated public hearings, council tabled its initial proposal in January in favor of appointing a task force of residents to study the issue and come up with a new ordinance proposal within a year.

Trey Wood can be reached at twood @ lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.