Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-02-10-075 — OPEN HOMES FELLOWSHIP, INC./ Continued to January 2, 2003

Request: Special Exception in R-3 (multifamily) zone to operate a residential care facility (NOTE: The applicant is proposing a drug and alcohol recovery program with on-site housing and associated religious services) and Variance to provide 4 unpaved parking spaces in lieu of 8 spaces.

Decision: Denied

Hearing: The Staff Report and Recommendation is located on Pages_____. This item was continued from the BZA's meeting of October 3, 2002. The purpose of the continuance was to see if any kind of mediation or compromise could be reached between the applicant and the opposing neighbors. A meeting was held pursuant to the BZA's action for continuance. The meeting was attended by residents, Open Homes representatives, and County staff. The proposed mediation was not successful. Due to the length of time and the amount of information provided at the October BZA meeting, a video tape copy of those proceedings was provided for each of the newly-appointed BZA members. Staff reiterated the recommendation for denial of this application and provided an explanation on the land use issue. Most of the opposition that was presented at the October BZA hearing was the same at the January hearing. The opposition was from property owners residing on Central Park Avenue, where the subject property is located. In general, the opposition cited problems with traffic, safety, security, and incompatibility with the single family residences in the area. It was pointed out that Open Homes owns three other properties on the west side of Central Park Avenue which they rent to graduates of their drug rehab program. Those properties serve as an integral part of the program as the graduates serve as "big brothers" assisting those going through the program at the subject property. In response to a question asked by one of the BZA members, the applicant stated they have twenty (20) total men (graduates) renting the homes (two duplexes and one single family residence) on the west side of the road. The application for the drug rehabilitation center on the east side of the road was to house from 16 to 20 men. The BZA denied the Special Exception with accompanying Variance request in that they felt this type of land use was not appropriate to locate internal to a residential neighborhood. T*