Social service agencies constitute a complex mixture of operational activities, including administrative offices, counseling offices, residential housing, and food distribution. Each of these activities has a different need for public services and infrastructure and a different potential impact on surrounding properties. This section is established to differentiate social service agency uses on the basis of the activity to be conducted at specific locations, allowing the operational needs and impacts of the use to be addressed through designation to the appropriate zoning districts to ensure land use compatibility and adequate public services, and through review procedures designed to identify and mitigate potential impacts.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.1)

This section applies to all social service agency uses, as defined herein. Where a particular social service agency operational component is listed in the social service agency use table in this section, the use is considered a use permitted by right or a special exception as indicated in the table. All social service agency uses shall follow the applicable review procedures for permitted and special exception uses and shall meet the additional requirements of this section.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.2)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Child foster home means a family care facility, regulated or required to be licensed or regulated by the State, which provides, in a single-family home setting, care and supervision pursuant to state licensing for persons under 18 years of age not requiring a special treatment program, which is not occupied solely by persons related to each other by blood, adoption or marriage, and who are living together as a family.

Food center means a distribution center for food to persons where prepared food is distributed for immediate consumption or where on-premises consumption of the food occurs. A food center is not a "restaurant" as elsewhere defined and used in this Code. One characteristic of a food center is that food is distributed primarily for no charge or for less than fair market value, such as in a soup kitchen. Such facilities shall have designated hours of operation for service of meals.

Long-term housing means housing that is designed to accommodate persons for greater than six months, and support services (counseling, daycare, etc.) for the purpose of facilitating the movement of the residents to independent living. This use includes transitional and permanent housing.

Personal care services/drop-in center means a facility that provides a daytime communal atmosphere open to the public for the provision of services to persons in need of assistance due to age, physical or mental disability, illness or injury including but not limited to supervision of self-administered medication, aid in personal hygiene, eating and drinking, ambulation, dressing or recreation. Services may be provided during part of a 24-hour day, shall not include any overnight stays, and shall have no overnight sleeping facilities. This use includes programs such as day treatment programs and drop-in centers with no overnight sleeping facilities but does not include a food center.

Short-term/emergency housing means a facility that is designed to provide housing to persons for less than six months and support services to persons for the purpose of facilitating the movement of the residents to independent living or transitional housing. This use includes programs such as homeless shelters and halfway houses.

Supply pantry means a distribution center for food, clothing and other essential items to persons at no charge or for less than fair market value where no on-premises consumption of the items occurs.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.3)

A.

The following table shall be used to determine the applicable zoning district for the specified social service agency operational components. The table shall be used to determine whether the proposed use is a permitted use or a special exception use. If an operational component has been approved as a special exception use, no conversion to a different operational component which is a special exception use is allowed without obtaining a special exception approval for the new operational component. A social service agency's operational component is prohibited within any zoning district not specified or cross-referenced within the following table unless the component is clearly accessory.

B.

For special exception approval of a social service agency which provides services for a specified number of persons at the site, the Development Review Commission may condition its approval with a limitation on the maximum number of persons served by the site at any one time in order to ensure that the impacts of the site do not exceed those reviewed in the approval.

If the Development Review Commission approves a limitation as set forth herein, it must grant the application, subject to the additional conditions and safeguards it has deemed necessary, approval of the site plan and any necessary variances, specifically stating the factors upon which its determination to require the limitation is based.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.4; Ord. No. 893-G, § 11(16.50.390.4A), 9-4-2008; Ord. No. 1029-G, § 50, 9-8-2011; Ord. No. 346-H, § 3, 3-14-2019)

In addition to the criteria for special exception and site plan review, the Development Review Commission and POD shall consider the following requirements in determining whether to approve, approve with conditions or deny a request for a special exception or site plan involving a social service agency use:

1.

The facility shall be served by or easily accessible to mass transit;

2.

The facility shall be of adequate size and design to reasonably accommodate its projected capacity;

3.

The facility shall have internal or external waiting areas sufficient for the proposed maximum number of persons waiting at any one time. Personal care service/drop-in centers shall provide an activity area sufficient for the proposed maximum number of clients;

4.

Exterior waiting and exterior activity areas shall be adequately buffered from abutting properties and streets with a fence, wall or hedge that is the maximum height allowed and which meets the visibility at intersection requirements;

5.

Parking:

a.

Long and short term housing uses shall provide two spaces, plus one space per each staff person on the shift with the largest number of staff, plus one space for every three beds or units.

b.

Other uses shall provide one space for every 200 square feet.

6.

Social service agency uses with the same special exception or principal operating component are prohibited within 1,200 feet of each other unless the DRC determines that the cumulative impacts of the existing and proposed uses will not adversely affect the living and working conditions of the properties located between the two uses;

7.

Office and long and short term housing uses shall meet the maximum density, lot, FAR, height and ISR requirements and minimum lot and yard requirements of the zoning district in which they are located. Other uses shall meet the maximum lot, FAR, height and ISR requirements and minimum lot and yard requirements of the most similar use in the zoning district in which they are located;

8.

Social service agency uses with different special exception or principal operating components, which are located within 1,200 feet of each other, may be denied if the DRC determines that the cumulative impacts of the existing and proposed uses will adversely affect the living and working conditions of properties in close proximity to the proposed use.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.5; Ord. No. 893-G, § 11(16.50.390.5), 9-4-2008)

A social service agency shall submit the following information with an application for site plan or special exception approval:

1.

Hours of operation;

2.

Average number of people expected to be served daily and the maximum number of people who could be served daily;

3.

Number of staff persons on site for each shift;

4.

Number of beds, if any; and

5.

Detailed description of entire program and uses, including accessory uses.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.6)

Accessory uses shall not exceed 25 percent of the floor area of the principal use.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.7)

Child foster homes having one to five foster children shall be permitted in zoning districts that allow single-family residential uses and in any existing grandfathered single-family dwelling unit.

(Code 1992, § 16.50.390.8)