The purpose and intent of this chapter are to regulate the location, establishment, and operation of all special residential uses to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the City of St. Louis. These are unique land uses that provide housing opportunities to individuals and families not adequately served by other housing types and with potential ramifications not otherwise addressed by more traditional zoning district regulations. Additional regulations in this section are intended to provide reasonable restrictions within districts so that these uses do not compromise the health, safety, and general welfare of persons in the district, or other uses allowed in each district.

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)

A.

Boarding house. "Boarding house" means a rooming house where, for compensation, meals are provided.

B.

Building Official. "Building Official" means the Building Commissioner or any designee from the Building Division.

C.

Dormitory. "Dormitory" means a building or part of a building that is operated by, or on behalf of, institution(s) that provides educational instructions and houses students enrolled at such institution(s), with either shared or private bathroom space.

D.

Group home. "Group home" means a residential facility serving nine (9) or fewer residents, similar in appearance to a single-family dwelling and providing basic health supervision, habilitation training in skills of daily and independent living and community integration, and social support. Group homes do not include a family living arrangement or individualized supported living. A group home will provide a separate bedroom for each tenant, and either shared or private bathroom space.

E.

Halfway house. "Halfway house" means a facility that provides housing for individuals, to assist with the transition from incarceration to the community, with ongoing staff monitoring. A halfway house may include individual bedrooms and either shared or private bathroom space.

F.

Rooming house. "Rooming house" means a dwelling, other than a hotel or bed and breakfast establishment, where, for compensation, lodging only is provided, with either shared or private bathroom space.

G.

Shelter, congregate. "Shelter, congregate" means a facility that provides congregate housing for individuals temporarily displaced or experiencing homelessness, where no compensation is collected. This facility has one (1) or more open sleeping areas, furnished with beds, cots, floor mats, or bunks, and either shared or private bathroom space. Individual bedrooms are not required. This facility may or may not offer support services such as counseling, vocational training, and pathways to permanent housing, for its clients.

H.

Shelter, single-room occupancy. "Shelter, single-room occupancy" means a facility that provides single-unit lodging for individuals temporarily displaced or experiencing homelessness, where no compensation is collected. Individuals reside in a single room with sleeping accommodations and either shared or private bathroom space. This facility may or may not offer support services such as counseling, vocational training, or pathways to permanent housing, for its clients.

I.

Special residential use. "Special residential use" means a unique residential use that provides housing opportunities to individuals and families not adequately served by other housing types and with potential ramifications not otherwise addressed by other city zoning regulations, including congregate shelters, single-room occupancy shelters, dormitories, rooming houses, boarding houses, transitional housing, halfway houses, substance use treatment facility, and group homes.

J.

Substance use treatment facility. "Substance use treatment facility" shall mean a residential or in-patient facility (other than a hospital or clinic regulated under Title 12 of the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis) whose primary function is the treatment of substance use and which is regulated by the appropriate state and local authority to provide such service. It does not include halfway houses, boarding houses, or other facilities that provide primarily a supportive environment, even if substance use counseling is provided in such facilities.

K.

Support services. "Support services" means any services provided by the shelter provider that assist in the pathway toward permanent and stable housing, such as counseling, vocational training, housing assistance, or other similar services.

L.

Transitional housing. "Transitional housing" means a facility that provides housing with support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, with the goal for them to eventually move into and maintain permanent housing. A transitional housing facility may include individual bedrooms and either shared or private bathroom space.

M.

Zoning Office. "Zoning Office" means the City of St. Louis Zoning Section, or any other successive city department that is responsible for administering and enforcing the City of St. Louis Zoning Code Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)

The following use table lists how all special residential uses are regulated in the various zoning districts. Within the table, the user can identify the type of special residential use and how that use is regulated under each zone − thus identifying whether the use is permitted (P), whether it requires a conditional use permit (C), or whether it is prohibited (NA):

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)

A.

All special residential uses shall comply with the following site requirements:

1.

The facility shall have access to a dumpster and maintain the entire premises in a clean and orderly appearance at all times.

2.

The facility shall provide a refuse container on the exterior of the premises for use by the clients and it shall be emptied daily or more if needed.

3.

There shall be no selling of liquor, alcohol, or non-intoxicating beer on the premises at any given time.

4.

There shall be no vending, ATM machines, or payphones on the exterior of the premises at any given time.

5.

All windows and doors must have no boards, mesh, grates, materials, or coverings of any kind. Windows and doors may have proper blinds or curtains on the inside of the windows.

6.

The facility shall not have cord or rope-type LED lighting surrounding or framing its windows or doors.

7.

The premises shall not be issued a public nuisance notice, pursuant to Ordinance 68535 or its successor ordinances.

8.

The facility shall abide by the City of St. Louis Noise Ordinance 68130 or its successor ordinances.

9.

The facility shall provide one (1) off-street parking space for every three (3) or a fraction thereof, of the total number of employees on the maximum shift, and one (1) off-street parking space for each facility vehicle.

10.

Existing facilities qualifying as special residential uses under this chapter and legally operating prior to the effective date of this chapter, also known as "BPS-permitted facilities," shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

11.

There shall be no more than one (1) special residential use unit within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of another special residential use, and no city block may have more than two (2) special residential uses. However, one (1) occupant with a business license may expand their operation to another parcel within a five hundred-foot radius through a conditional use permit. This provision shall not apply in the event that a BPS-permitted facility, operating prior to the effective date of this chapter, submits an application to expand any existing facility.

B.

Exceptions:

1.

Sheltered workshops and residence facilities authorized by RSMo 205.968 to 205.972 (2000), as amended, shall be and are hereby exempted from any plat and petition process and density requirements set forth under this chapter.

2.

Group homes, as authorized by RSMo 89.020 (2019), as amended, shall be and are hereby exempted from any plat and petition process and density requirements set forth under this chapter.

3.

Dormitories as defined in this Chapter are exempt from the plat and petition process and density requirements set forth under this Chapter if the facility is (1) both owned and operated by a state or private university or college, and (2) located within the boundaries of said state or private university or college on a designated campus of not less than thirty (30) acres.

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)

A.

When applying for a permit as provided under this chapter, applicants seeking to open a congregate shelter, single-room occupancy shelter, or transitional housing shall also be required as part of said application process to submit an Operations plan before any hearing. Applicant shall obtain a written confirmation of receipt from the Zoning Office when an operations plan is submitted as part of an application for a congregate shelter, single-room occupancy shelter, or transitional housing special residential use.

B.

The operations plan shall be made available to the Zoning Office, Building Official, and any other City department where appropriate. The operations plan further shall be available for public inspection in the office of the Building Official as a physical written copy and as an electronic copy.

C.

For purposes of this section, an "operations plan" shall include the following:

(1)

an organizational tree including an estimated total number of professional staff and volunteers that will work at the proposed facility;

(2)

The name, address, telephone number, and email address for a representative of the proposed facility who is available during all hours of operation;

(3)

The estimated number of beds to be provided;

(4)

The estimated average population per month;

(5)

A description of the services to be provided, such as job placement, drug and alcohol treatment, and other rehabilitative or training services;

(6)

A description of the population expected to be served, for example women, women and children, single men, families, etc.;

(7)

The expected length of stay per person;

(8)

An identification of any schools within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of the proposed premises and any plans to address any potential issues or concerns;

(9)

A plan for addressing potential threats to public health and/or public safety, including but not limited to protocols around drug possession and use, possession of weapons, and physical altercations that take place on the premises, including protocol(s) for an incident that requires the immediate removal of a facility resident;

(10)

A statement from the applicant that, in providing housing and any other services, the facility will not discriminate within the population to be served as specified in the operations plan against any person on the basis of race, marital status, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, disability, national origin or ancestry. If unable to provide a statement, please explain;

(11)

An affirmative statement that the information the applicant is submitting in the operations plan is an accurate representation of planned operations; and

(12)

Any other information the applicant and/or any City department believes could be helpful to explain the operation and compatibility of the proposed facility with the proposed location.

D.

The Building Commissioner or Zoning Office shall be permitted to seek the insight, feedback, or input from other City departments regarding the contents of an operations plan, where appropriate.

1.

No hearing date for an application for a conditional use permit shall be set until the Zoning Office has provided written confirmation that the Zoning Office has received an operational plan from the applicant. The Building Division and any other department may proceed forward with any inspections, plan reviews, or other evaluations while said confirmation of receipt may be pending.

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)

It shall be unlawful to operate a special residential use without first complying with the requirements as set forth under this chapter.

(Ord. No. 71928, § 4, 11-19-2024.)