HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-05-09; City Council; 10016; Residential Care Facilities in R-1 ZonesCIT” OF CARLSBAD - AGEND” BILL ,jt B/&o
AB# /a, d/d TITLE: RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES
MTG. 5/g/89 IN R-l ZONES
DEPT. PLN
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DENY request to amend zone code restricting residential care facilities in the R-l zone to six or fewer beds.
ITEM EXPLANATION
On March 14, 1989, Laura Mustari, representing YMCA Project 02 North Coast, requested that the zone code which limits residential care facilities to six residents in R-l zones be amended to allow accommodations for eight residents.
Under the Carlsbad Municipal Zone Code, as required by State Law, residential care facilities serving six or fewer persons are allowed by right in all residential zones including R-l zones. The City's Zone Code further allows residential care facilities serving more than six persons in multi-family zones through the CUP process. The intent of the ordinance is to restrict these facilities providing services to more than six persons to a multi-family zone to ensure that compatibility with the surrounding environment is maintained. Currently, no process other than a zone code amendment exists to allow for facility expansion in a single family neighborhood.
A zone code amendment to allow facility capacity to increase in a single family neighborhood and thereby increase area density, would be in direct conflict with the goal of maintaining compatibility of uses. Furthermore, such an amendment could open the door to changing the nature of single family neighborhoods for the following reasons:
1) More than 140 of the residential care facilities in the City of Carlsbad are licensed for a capacity of 6 or fewer beds. More than 60 of these facilities are located in the R-l Zone and would therefore qualify under the proposed zone code amendment to increase facility capacity (Exhibits A & B).
Examples of the types of residential care facilities in Carlsbad along with the approximate number of each follow:
Type of Approximate Residential Care Facilitv Number in Carlsbad
Foster Homes Group Homes for Young People Group Homes for Elderly People Child Day Care
30 4 10 100
C
Page 2 of Agenda Bill No. /<a/L
2) The combination of allowing these larger facilities to locate in single family neighborhoods by right, and the lower land values in these neighborhoods relative to multi- family neighborhoods could serve to encourage more residential care facility operators to locate in the R-l zone, thereby further compounding the difficulty in maintaining compatibility of uses in this zone.
In conclusion, staff cannot support the proposed zone code amendment because it is in direct conflict with the City's goal of maintaining compatibility of uses. Staff recognizes and supports, however, the commendable community service Project Oz North Coast provides, and therefore, encourages members of this organization to seek an alternative location in one of Carlsbad's multi-family zones to realize their goal of expansion.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
J3XHIBITS
Exhibit A: Residential Care Facilities (up to 6 persons) City of Carlsbad dated April 1, 1989. (On file at the
City of Carlsbad Planning Department)
Exhibit B: Residential Care Facilities (up to 6 persons) by quadrant, City of Carlsbad, 1989
EXHIBIT B C *
RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES BY QUADRANT
CITY OF .CARLSBAD,l989
NORTHEAST QUADRANT
R-l ZONE R-l ZONE
OTHER ZONES 23 OTHER ZONES 23
NORTHWEST NORTHWEST
OTHER ZONES 14 OTHER ZONES 14
SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST QUADRANT QUADRANT
O.THER ZONES 3 O.THER ZONES 3 SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST
QUADRANT QUADRANT
OTHER ZONES 41
R-l ZONE 6
OTHER ZONES 41
TOTAL 47
(UP TO 6 PERSONS)