Richwood City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1165
Family Care and Group Homes
1165.01 GENERAL.
A family care home and/or foster home is permitted as a permitted use in all residential districts and group homes are permitted as a conditional use in R-3 districts when approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals, but only after having complied with the approved procedures relating to conditional uses specified in this Ordinance and the following conditions.
1165.02 DEFINITIONS.
(a) “Family care/foster care homes” shall mean a residential facility that provides room and board, personal care, habilitation services, and supervision in a family like setting for not more than eight (8) persons with or without developmental disabilities.
(b) “Group home” shall mean a residential facility that provides room and board, personal care, habilitation services, and supervision in a family like setting for at least nine (9) but not more than sixteen (16) persons with developmental disabilities and/or other issues. This shall also include a half-way house type setting.
1165.03 BUILDING, FIRE, HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
Family care homes/foster care homes and group homes shall not maintain lower than minimum building, fire, health and safety standards as set forth by the State and local laws and regulations applicable to such a home. No such home shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy has been obtained from the Zoning Inspector.
1165.04 LICENSING.
All type homes, as defined in Section 1165.02 above, shall not be permitted to be constructed and/or operated until the agency, organization or institution supervising such a home satisfies the Board of Zoning Appeals that the home, the supervising individuals and its operation comply or will, within a reasonable time, comply with all licensing requirements of the appropriate State Agency.
1165.05 DISPERSAL.
(a) Statement of Intent. In order to prevent the creation of a defacto social service district and to avoid impacting either a residential block or a neighborhood, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall exercise care in considering a request to establish a family care/foster care home which would increase the number of persons living in such homes, including group homes and halfway houses in a multi-family district, on a block face beyond thirty (30) persons, or beyond approximately three percent (3%) of the total number of persons, according to the most recent census figures, living within one-half mile of the applicant home. These provisions are intended to assure that such homes do not exceed the limited capacity of a neighborhood's existing social structure to accommodate them. These provisions are also intended to avoid an over concentration of such homes which may inadvertently recreate an institutional like setting, and thus impede successful functioning of such homes.
(b) Limitation of Homes on a Block Face. No more than a total of three (3) such type homes shall be permitted on the same block face in a single family district. No more than a total of three (3) such type homes shall be permitted on the same block face in a multi-family district.
(c) Limitation of Homes in a Neighborhood. No such homes, as defined in Section 1165.01 above, shall be permitted if it is shown that such home would increase the number of persons living in such homes beyond three percent (3%) of the total number of persons, according to the most recent census figures, living within a radius of one-half mile of the applicant home.