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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDApacket__02-14-22_0447_311       NOTICE OF MEETING REGULAR MEETING FOUNTAIN HILLS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION      Chairman Peter Gray  Vice Chairman Scott Schlossberg Vacant Commissioner Clayton Corey Commissioner Susan Dempster Commissioner Dan Kovacevic Commissioner Roderick Watts, Jr.    TIME:6:00 P.M. – REGULAR MEETING WHEN:MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022 WHERE:FOUNTAIN HILLS COMMUNITY CENTER 13001 N LA MONTANA DRIVE , FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ Commissioners of the Town of Fountain Hills will attend either in person or by telephone conference call; a quorum of the Town’s Council,  various Commission, Committee or Board members may be in attendance at the Commission meeting. Notice is hereby given that pursuant to A.R.S. §1-602.A.9, subject to certain specified statutory exceptions, parents have a right to consent before the State or any of its political subdivisions make a video or audio recording of a minor child. Meetings of the Commission are audio and/or video recorded and, as a result, proceedings in which children are present may be subject to such recording. Parents, in order to exercise their rights may either file written consent with the Town Clerk to such recording, or take personal action to ensure that their child or children are not present when a recording may be made. If a child is present at the time a recording is made, the Town will assume that the rights afforded parents pursuant to A.R.S. §1-602.A.9 have been waived.    REQUEST TO COMMENT   The public is welcome to participate in Commission meetings. TO SPEAK TO AN AGENDA ITEM, please complete a Request to Comment card, located in the back of the Council Chambers, and hand it to the Executive Assistant prior to discussion of that item, if possible. Include the agenda item on which you wish to comment. Speakers will be allowed three contiguous minutes to address the Commission. Verbal comments should be directed through the Presiding Officer and not to individual Commissioners. TO COMMENT ON AN AGENDA ITEM IN WRITING ONLY, please complete a Request to Comment card, indicating it is a written comment, and check the box on whether you are FOR or AGAINST and agenda item, and hand it to the Executive Assistant prior to discussion, if possible.   REGULAR MEETING    REGULAR MEETING        1.CALL TO ORDER, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF SILENCE – Chairman Gray     2.ROLL CALL – Chairman Gray     3.CALL TO THE PUBLIC Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.01(H), public comment is permitted (not required) on matters NOT listed on the agenda. Any such comment (i) must be within the jurisdiction of the Commission, and (ii) is subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. The Commission will not discuss or take legal action on matters raised during Call to the Public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. At the conclusion of the Call to the Public, individual commissioners may (i) respond to criticism, (ii) ask staff to review a matter, or (iii) ask that the matter be placed on a future Commission agenda.     4.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: approving the regular meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission January 10, 2022.     5.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION: regarding a site plan for Park Place Phase II (16845 E. Avenue of the Fountains) and Phase III (13000 block of N. Verde River, west side).     6.REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON options for possible ordinance language updating regulations for group homes.     7.COMMISSION DISCUSSION/REQUEST FOR RESEARCH to staff.    8.SUMMARY OF COMMISSION REQUESTS from Development Services Director.    9.REPORT from Development Services Director.    10.ADJOURNMENT       CERTIFICATE OF POSTING OF NOTICE The undersigned hereby certifies that a copy of the foregoing notice was duly posted in accordance with the statement filed by the Planning and Zoning Commission with the Town Clerk. Dated this ______ day of ____________________, 2022. _____________________________________________  Paula Woodward, Executive Assistant The Town of Fountain Hills endeavors to make all public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities. Please call 480-816-5199 (voice) or 1-800-367-8939 (TDD) 48 hours prior to the meeting to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the meeting or to obtain agenda information in large print format. Supporting documentation and staff reports furnished the Commission with this agenda are available for review in the Development Services' Office.    Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of February 14, 2022 2 of 2 ITEM 4. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS STAFF REPORT    Meeting Date: 02/14/2022 Meeting Type: Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda Type: Submitting Department: Development Services Prepared by: Paula Woodward, Executive Assistant Staff Contact Information: Request to Planning and Zoning Commission (Agenda Language):  CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: approving the regular meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission January 10, 2022. Staff Summary (Background) The intent of approving meeting minutes is to ensure an accurate account of the discussion and action that took place at the meeting for archival purposes. Approved minutes are placed on the Town's website and maintained as permanent records in compliance with state law. Related Ordinance, Policy or Guiding Principle N/A Risk Analysis N/A Recommendation(s) by Board(s) or Commission(s) N/A Staff Recommendation(s) Staff recommends approving the meeting minutes of the regular meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission January 10, 2022..    SUGGESTED MOTION MOVE to approve the regular meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission January 10, 2022. Attachments DRAFT MM 1.10.22  Attachment 1  D R A F T TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION JANUARY 10, 2022            1.CALL TO ORDER, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF SILENCE      Chairman Gray called the meeting of January 10, 2022, to order at 6:00 p.m.   2.ROLL CALL   Present: Chairman Peter Gray; Vice Chairman Scott Schlossberg; Commissioner Clayton Corey (Telephonically); Commissioner Susan Dempster; Commissioner Dan Kovacevic (Telephonically); Commissioner Roderick Watts, Jr.  Absent: Commissioner Jessie Brunswig  Staff Present: John Wesley , Development Services Director; Farhad Tavassoli , Senior Planner; Paula Woodward, Executive Assistant  3.CALL TO THE PUBLIC      William Ray, Fountain Hills resident, stated that he is against the rezoning application submitted for a property on Log Lane. He said that the rezoning request is hypercritical considering Fountain Hills home owners are prevented by deed restrictions to sub divide their lots. In response to Chairman Gray, Mr. Wesley said that there are no Log Lane applications under consideration by the Planning and Zoning Commission.  There is an application that is currently understaff review.     4.CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: approving the regular meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission December 13, 2021.        MOVED BY Commissioner Susan Dempster, SECONDED BY Commissioner Roderick Watts, Jr. to approve the Planning and Zoning Commission minutes of the Regular Meeting of December13, 2021.   Vote: 6 - 0 - Unanimously     Vote: 6 - 0 - Unanimously   5.Definitions related to detoxification uses and sober living homes         Mr. Wesley explained that the item tonight is a continued discussion from the November 8, 2021 & December 13, 2022 Planning and Zoning Commission meetings.  During those meetings it was decided that tonight’s meeting would be for the public to provide the Commission and staff their comments regarding the potential amendment as it pertains to detoxification uses and sober living homes in the zoning ordinance.  Following the input received this evening from the public and the Commission staff will prepare any changes to the zoning ordinance.  The ordinance changes would be scheduled for a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and then Town Council. Mr. Wesley gave a PowerPoint presentation that reviewed the current definitions in the zoning ordinance and definitions that have been added for use at the meeting. At the request of Chairman Gray, Ms. Woodward read into the record: an email sent from Nancy Plencer and a letter from Jane Bell to the Commission. (Attachment 1, page 7 & 8) Written comment cards in opposition to agenda item #5 were received from: Jerry and Connie Goss, Alan Meehan. Barry McBride, Fountain Hills business owner, suggested that the Commission consider forming a Study Committee with citizen participation to conduct research pertaining to detox centers and sober living homes. (Attachment 1, page 1) The following Fountain Hills residents spoke in opposition to allow sober living homes and /or detoxification facilities in Fountain Hills: Mark De Persio Cathi Marx (Attachment 1, page 2) John Meridith Greg Johnson Larry Meyers   Liz Gilderseelve (Attachment 1, page 4) Crystal Cavanaugh (Attachment 1, page 5) Rita Brown Rainer Svchelp Robert Ashmore Scott Kornblue   The following people submitted emails or letters regarding agenda item #5: James and Maureen Theiring, Joanne Wuttke, Karen and Gary Bradbury, Joe and Marie Sterling, Pauline Georgakis, Charles and Luann Kroeger, Bob Crostic, Bruce Betterman, Patricia Betterman, Nancy Stevens, Alan Grosso,    Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 2 of 7 Mary Ann Bosnos, Kathy Palumbo, Larry Meyers and Andy Bennett. (Attachment 1, pages 11 – 33) Mr. Wesley noted that obviously there is a lot of concern from the community. He said that he will be reviewing other communities best practices . He said that staff understands the concerns of the public and agreed that group homes can change the dynamics of the neighborhood. He said due to state and federal restrictions the box to work within is small but he remains diligent to protect the citizens the best he can. Chairman Gray said he wanted to clarify that the Town is not looking to invite these services to Fountain Hills.  The Commission and staff are looking to put proper constraints’ and ordinance language to restrict such use. He said last month he heard a lot of vocalization between commercial and residential properties. Mr. Wesley agreed and explained that detox facilities are commercial use. The Town is in no way allowing detox in residential areas. If there is a question whether a residence could be detox, a compliant could be registered with the state via their website. Commissioner Watts asked if the timeline for this topic could be escalated.  He stated that the staff could look for guidance from other municipalities that have already been through this situation.   He also asked for that the credentials of the lawyers that provided the Town with professional input regarding sober living homes.  Mr. Wesley said his intent would be to have draft language at the February Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.  Follow up with the attorneys would probably be at the March meeting. Chairman Gray suggested that there should be two parts; detoxification facilities and residential sober living homes.   This started with looking at appropriate locations for detox facilities as a result of an inquiry to the Town. Then it was realized that the detox facilities have the potential to create more sober living residences in Town. He suggested that Staff and the Commission focus and review sober living ordinance language in February and focus on detoxification zoning designations in March. Mr. Wesley agreed stating that the sober living piece is the more complicated piece. Commissioner Dempster commented that the Commission does not want to make bad decisions and this is an obviously an important topic. She said she supports focus groups, getting people together to brainstorm. She discovered that Prescott has a limit of occupants in these types of homes. She suggested the Town’s business license application could be enhanced such as requiring a copy of the lease agreement.  She would like to spearhead a focus group.    Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 3 of 7 Chairman Gray asked if it was possible for the Town to put a moratorium on sober living homes until the final results are confirmed regarding ordinances and restrictions. He confirmed he was in favor of am imposed moratorium during this process. Mr. Wesley responded that he would have to solicit the Town Attorney regarding the moratorium request from Chairman Gray. In response to Vice Chairman Schlossberg, Mr. Wesley said that the residence Mr. Kornblue referenced was not known to be a registered sober living residence.  He said that code enforcement is currently researching the issue. Commissioner Watts said that Prescott has a good handle on this particular situation and are successful. Their guidelines should be used to assist Fountain Hills drafting the ordinance.  This process has dragged on far too long. Chairman Gray said that he wanted to review last month’s discussion regarding sober living environments.  He read the following points: Residential Property Utilization for Business: As an underpinning we need to consider a lens of equity across all business endeavors being conducted in a residential zoning designation. By staying true to the intentions behind allowing residences to be used for business purposes: Avon Sales, Insurance Sales, Convalescence Care, Sober Living and Partial Hospitalization Programs are all "Home Based Business" or businesses using residential zone property for purposes over and above their underlying zoning designation. The spirit of Home Based Business provisions within town ordinances is specifically to allow the “homeowner” to leverage their place of domicile as a: quiet, non-disruptive and safe place of business respectful of all adjacent owners’ rights and intentions to maintain their neighborhoods. Allowing for any arm’s length investor, investment group or commercial business to leverage a residence for any business that relies on throughput to generate revenues either directly or indirectly is a miss use of entitlements and intent surrounding “Home Based Business provisions” that does not have to be permitted and should not be permitted. The “business” of operating a group home as part of a larger business model is not afforded the same protections under the law as a direct relationship between landlord and tenant applicant would be.   Suggestion: Language surrounding home based businesses and associated licenses be enhanced to require the applicant/business owner to hold the residence as their primary place of residence. This is true equity and eliminates misuse of residences by investment or commercial businesses. As it relates to Sober Living, Partial Hospitalization, Convalescent care and alike the only legitimate pathway to operating a group home of any type in a “residential zoned” property is for the homeowner to similarly occupy and run the “business”. Group homes rely on client turn over and payment for services to facilitate gross profits in the same manner as the hair stylist and we don’t allow    Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 4 of 7 a 10 chair salon to operate 24/7 in any residential district today.   Capacity & Occupancy: A residence utilized as a business should not be exempt from ordinance language defining hours of operation. To this end any group home should be required to seek a 24hr use permit to run their for profit home 24hrs a day. Not requiring such a permit puts all adjacent home based businesses at a disadvantage and thereby creates a condition of inequality for the same hair dresser who wishes to see clients after hours.   Suggestion: Require 24hr use permit application for all home based businesses being operated as group homes.   Realizing that this is very subjective, State and Federal precedent in place generally stating that any law or ordinance put in place shall demonstrate it is for the benefit of the occupant. Limitations on number of occupants in a home which offers supervision or care is for the benefit of the occupant. All of the group home models are volume based models seeking max occupancy that the jurisdiction will allow, one local operator has gone as far as putting a bed into the garage visible from the street. If we want to do right by the occupants of any kind of group home we would limit the number of total occupants or set a maximum ratio of occupants to medical professionals to better their potential outcome and limit the “mill effect”.   Suggestion: We cap occupancy at 6 including medical professional and of course the property owner/landlord in reference to #1 above. This would provide a care mode ration of 4:1 or 5:1 if the owner was also the medical professional. These ratios would align with any medical provider’s ratios. We have to decide if we’re in support of the patient and their outcomes here or if we’re more interested in preserving the revenues of the operators and promoting expansion of the max occupancy model.   Landlord / Tenant Relationship & Community Welfare: Current precedent with a number of group home businesses allows the business to place an occupant in a home as a part of a larger for profit treatment plan in lieu of the tenant having a direct relationship with the homeowner in the form of a rental agreement. I would again argue first that the “business” of operating a group home as part of a larger business model is not afforded the same protections under the law as a direct relationship between landlord and tenant applicant would be. In addition, this model presents the opportunity to inadvertently put the adjacent community at risk. The State under Section 13-3827 requires the registration of sex offenders with a number of jurisdictions including: municipal, sheriff, etc. This is also the mechanism which is utilized to allow public to be made aware of an offenders address and proximity to their family or when an offender moves into proximity. The model we have today with a number of group home residences allows a potential offender to be under contract for care by for profit provider and placed into a neighborhood for up to 120 days without making any associated declarations of their actual whereabouts. The can occur as the offender technically    Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 5 of 7 maintains a primary residence elsewhere in the county where they are registered and as they are under a contract with a medical provider are in effect masked as to their whereabouts in this regard. This is an unacceptable scenario which has potential to subvert the welfare protections provisioned by state law. In addition the state law prohibits “clustering” of offenders thus our current practices undermine two protections that state law currently affords the community.   Suggestion: to reside at a particular location an individual or group of individuals directly must rent without prejudice direct from a homeowner/landlord. This includes a lease executed directly by both parties. It is only this direct relationship that is protected by law. No third party, arm’s length or commercial business/tenant relationships should be permitted. This would likely be a disruption to the business model but I don’t feel that’s our concern.   In response to Chairman Gray, Mr. Wesley said that he has read through his suggestions and passed them along to the Town attorney.  Mr. Wesley said he is keeping them in mind as well as the public comments as he drafts the ordinance.  He said that the Town Attorney will immediately see the legal issues and the potential to end up in court.  They are usually risk averse and don’t like to go that way.    In closing, Chairman Gray asked respectfully that if the Town’s legal administers an adverse reaction, he asks they bring precedence.   Commissioner Watts agreed with Chairman Gray and noted that the key to having the residential owner present on site keeps any issue minimal. They often demonstrate pride of ownership and that can make all the difference.     6.COMMISSION DISCUSSION/REQUEST FOR RESEARCH to staff.     None.   7.SUMMARY OF COMMISSION REQUESTS from Development Services Director.      None.   8.REPORT from Development Services Director.     None.      Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 6 of 7 9.ADJOURNMENT        The Regular Meeting of the Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission held January 10, 2022, adjourned at 7:25 p.m.     PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION _______________________________ Chairman Peter Gray                                                                               ATTESTED AND PREPARED BY:                                                                             _________________________________                                                                               Paula Woodward, Executive Assistant CERTIFICATION    I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on January 10, 2022. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this day of January 24, 2022.                                                                           ______________________________                                                                           Paula Woodward, Executive Assistant     Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2022 7 of 7 January 10, 2022 Town of Fountain Hills Planning & Zoning Commission meeting Detox Center and Sober Living Homes Agenda Item for Discussion After reviewing the Commission Meeting Minutes of 12/13/21 and the definition information provided in tonight’s agenda, I appreciate how complex this issue is and how important it is for our community to thoroughly investigate its options. Therefore, I recommend that the Commission consider forming a Study Committee with Citizen participation to assist in investigating this important subject and task the committee with, among other items deemed important by the Commission to: 1) Contact officials from Prescott to learn the initial steps taken and the issues and problems that followed along with and the subsequent actions taken to rectify any issues. Also, to identify the impact or effect on the Town’s citizens as a result of allowing these uses, and the cost to the town to resolve and regulate these treatment centers and homes. 2) Contact town officials and staff where Best Practices can be identified, to learn how to establish sound practices and comprehensive ordinances which both provide opportunities for these treatment centers and protect the welfare and safety of our community as a whole. 3) Provide suggested language relating to licensing, oversight, enforcement and related costs. 4) Gain clear definitions relating to each and every detox, sober living and outpatient treatment element currently in use in towns similar to Fountain Hills. 5) Suggested guidelines on how to fully review individuals or businesses applying to provide these services to insure safe, secure, productive and successful operation of the centers and homes. Guidelines should also include procedures for complaint management and resolution including, where appropriate, enforcement , restitution and other legal process. 6) Suggest regulations relating to location, taxation, licensing, number of locations per capita with appropriate restriction relating to proximity to schools, churches and neighborhoods. A full work-flow study would be provided including estimated costs for Town budgeting. 7) Community safety steps. 8) Community communication. Table new and pending applications until the Study is completed. Respectfully Submitted, Barry A. McBride, CLU, AEP 1 of 39 My name is Cathi Marx. My husband and I moved to Fountain Hills in April 2021 as full-time residents. I am a recently retired safety & security professional with 45 years in insurance and risk management; with 8 years of military experience in port safety & security included. I am not one to cower in fear nor create a crisis when there is none. We live to 377 feet from the women’s Nicklaus Dr. detox facility, and .3 miles from both the Trevino women’s facility, and the men’s Greenbrier detox facility. ADA Title II, is the reason being used that requires cities to have detox facilities in residential neighborhoods. The US Department of Justice in a document called: “The ADA and City Governments: Common Problems” state that reasonable modifications can include modifications to local laws, ordinances, and regulations that adversely impact people with disabilities. But even the DOJ uses the example of set - backs for ramps or allowing service animals in grocery stores. Not imbedding detox facilities within residential areas. Active illegal drug users are not protected class. These are detox facilities. Even the Fair Housing Act does permit ‘‘reasonable local, State or Federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling’’. Does the town council consider a 5 bedroom 4 bath house with 15 - 20 unrelated occupants as exceeding the safety & health code for what the building was intended? On September 7, 2021 the town council voted to not include behavioral health in the definition of hospital. I checked the accreditation status of Fountain Hills Recovery at the Joint Commission website. They are accredited; ….for Behavioral Health. According to a commercial insurance brokers website, an addiction treatment center or behavioral mental health treatment center should have as part of their insurance portfolio Active Assailant Insurance, and Abuse and Molestation coverage for employee / client / 3rd party. Sound like something you want your neighbor to need to run their home based business? Probably not.  These detox facilities are stated to be used for alcohol and drug addiction. How can we be assured they do not now or will not in the future include sex addition?  It is assumed that drug tests are conducted randomly; maybe including blood and urine tests. Are these test kits, with contaminated blood products thrown in the normal trash? 2 of 39 Possibly exposing Republic Services employees? Or neighborhood residents including children? We are already seeing meth kits, rubber hoses used for drug injection on our streets and private properties.  How many will be allowed? According to “inpatientrehab.com” Prescott AZ has 22 halfway houses advertised in their community. Is that our goal?  It’s irrelevant whether there are drugs on site to treat addiction. Perception is everything. This assumption makes detox centers as well as the surrounding homes targets for increased crime and robberies.  What is going on in a town of our size, and the average age of the population that we have, ludicrous. It appears your constituents are working harder on this than our elected officials.  Never did I expect that I would need to sleep with my firearm in my bedside table to protect my family, when making the decision to move to Fountain Hills. 3 of 39 Everyone on the Commission and in our community should be able to agree tonight that clear and specific definitions and ordinances will benefit and protect everyone from predatory sober home owners, including residents, neighborhoods, as well as the vulnerable people residing in sober homes. Mr. Wesley mentioned at the last meeting that he wanted input from residents regarding the crafting of regulations and ordinances. Here are some suggestions: 1) First, let’s require sober homes to do much more than simply apply for a $50 business license with the Town. In fact, for starters, there should be a separate detailed application for sober homes. Look closely at what the cities of Prescott and Scottsdale currently require. 2) At a bare minimum, like Prescott, let’s require sober homes to provide detailed information about every employee working in the sober home, along with how each home is managed and maintained and stringent security checklists, including who can and cannot reside in a sober home. Also like Prescott, let’s require sober homes to allow police and code enforcement to enter the common areas of the home when necessary. 3) Fountain Hills should also require the sober home business owners to maintain primary residence at their own sober home. That seems most logical and fair, especially if the business owner is truly invested in quality care for his residents and cares about his neighborhood. 4) Currently Fountain Hills requires a 10-resident maximum in each sober house. Wouldn’t a much smaller number of residents receive better and more personalized care? Like, one person to a bedroom, for example? 5) Finally, any regulations and ordinances should also spell out enforcement and penalties and fines. What will enforcement look like? Who will manage and record this data for the Town? What will be the consequences if violations are discovered or complaints are lodged by neighbors? Substantive neighborhood complaints should never fall on deaf ears at the Town going forward. Again, more robust administration and clear and enforceable ordinances will protect residents, neighborhoods, businesses, and, ultimately, the vulnerable people who need sober homes. Liz Gildersleeve, Fountain Hills Resident 4 of 39 From:Crystal Cavanaugh To:Paula Woodward Subject:Planning & Zoning Speaker 1/10/22 Date:Monday, January 10, 2022 8:05:19 PM This message originated from outside the organization. Do not click links or openattachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. January 10, 2022 Planning & Zoning It is no surprise that when Fountain Hills did not have clearly defined requirements for opening & operating detox programs & sober houses within the neighborhoods of our beautiful, small community, that outside businesses were quick to jump on this very profitable bandwagon. I strongly support the efforts of this P & Z Committee to implement requirements & ordinances that will hopefully protect the safety interests of the residents of Fountain Hills, protect our property values & our neighborhoods, which in turn result in a better environment for those staying in these recovery homes. On one website called luxuryrehabs.com/fountain-hills-recovery, it was noted that a 30 day stay is $20,000. This is not a philanthropic effort. It is big business. And those of us who have resistance to more & more of these businesses coming into our community unchecked, are not heartless haters who have no connection to the heartbreak & chaos of drug & alcohol addiction. We do have very real & legitimate concerns however. Many of these programs are for 30, 60 & 90 day time periods. And then there is no denying the high frequency of relapses. Often participants in these types of programs have mentioned that they have been to 6-12 rehabs. Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat. These businesses often seem to rent the very largest homes located in our community from out-of-state or off-premise homeowners, often in the nicer neighborhoods of Fountain Hills. Even I can 5 of 39 calculate the profitability difference for a 30-90 day program period when they rent a location with 7500 sq ft with 10-15 cohabitants versus something smaller with 4 people. But by locating in these larger homes, does it actually serve those who are recovering or does it really just serve the business owners who are collecting the payments from many unrelated people residing in one big rental home within single family neighborhoods? There is no real financial benefit to the Town of Fountain Hills from these businesses being operated in our neighborhood homes, so why has our Town staff been so resistant to protecting our Community with proper oversight & restrictions? Is our local staff qualified to address these significant & serious issues in the best interest of Fountain Hills? Are partial hospitalization detox treatments occurring onsite in the Sober Living homes? Aren’t sober living houses supposed to be a step after that treatment has taken place? Many of the participants in these programs frequently have what is called a Dual Diagnosis- including mental health issues, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, trauma or PTSD. These are complicated issues. What are the qualifications & requirements to become an owner & operator of detox businesses & sober houses within neighborhoods? According to some reviews, frequent staff turnovers occur within these sober homes. What is the ratio of staff to occupants within these neighborhood homes? Before the unchecked proliferation of these facilities & sober homes is allowed to go any further, there are some serious questions that need to be answered & some checks & balances that need to be in place. I support more transparent oversight & the implementation of strong ordinances for Community protection. Submitted by Crystal Cavanaugh 6 of 39 7 of 39 8 of 39 9 of 39 10 of 39 11 of 39 12 of 39 13 of 39 14 of 39 15 of 39 16 of 39 17 of 39 18 of 39 19 of 39 20 of 39 21 of 39 22 of 39 23 of 39 24 of 39 25 of 39 26 of 39 27 of 39 28 of 39 29 of 39 30 of 39 31 of 39 32 of 39 33 of 39 34 of 39 35 of 39 36 of 39 37 of 39 38 of 39 39 of 39 ITEM 5. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS STAFF REPORT    Meeting Date: 02/14/2022 Meeting Type: Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda Type: Submitting Department: Development Services Prepared by: John Wesley, Development Services Director Staff Contact Information: John Wesley, Development Services Director Request to Planning and Zoning Commission (Agenda Language):  CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION: regarding a site plan for Park Place Phase II (16845 E. Avenue of the Fountains) and Phase III (13000 block of N. Verde River, west side). Staff Summary (Background) Background Park Place is a three-phase, five-building, mixed-use project that was approved by the Town Council in June 2016.  The total development could have up to 420 dwelling units and 43,000 square feet of commercial space.  The actual number of dwelling units has been reduced to approximately 380 and actual retail space will be approximately 41,000 square feet.  The overall development will be providing approximately 150 parking spaces more than is required. The 2016 approval included a Development Agreement (DA) and an overall Land Use Plan.  These two documents, along with the General Plan, the Downtown Area Specific Plan, and the TCCD zoning on the property form the basis for review, analysis, and action on the proposed site plans. Development Agreement: Under current Zoning Ordinance requirements and procedures, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council do not typically review and take action on site plans.  In this case, however, the DA (Section 3.2) sets forth a requirement for review and approval by the Commission and Council for the "concept plan" for each phase of the development.  At the time the DA was prepared and approved, Section 2.04 of the Zoning Ordinance was for "concept" plan review.  That section of the zoning ordinance has now been changed to "site plan" review.  So, while the DA uses the term Concept Plan, it specifically refers to processing the plan in accordance with Section 2.04.  Therefore, the term "concept plan" and "site plan" are considered synonymous. Section 3.2 of the DA states the following: "...Concept Plan may be approved or denied by the Commission in its sole discretion.  Developer further agrees that, due to the nature of this Project, the Concept Plan shall be subject to additional review by the Town Council, which may approve or deny the Concept Plan in its sole discretion.  The Developer agrees and understands that its efforts to prepare the documents necessary for the Concept Plan application were undertaken at its own risk, and that the Developer may not rely upon this Agreement as any guarantee that the Commission or Town Council will approve the Concept Plan." The DA provides some modifications to the requirements of the TCCD zoning district.  Specific standards and ordinance modifications included in the DA are:  Increasing maximum building height from 40' to 54' of height, except for building F; Allowing building F to be residential only; No more than 3 residential floors in a building; A shared use parking approach with a 20% reduction in the number of required paces; and, Provision of a Town parking lot with a minimum of 130 parking spaces. Land Use Plan: In the Land Use Plan, Phase II was shown as up to four structures, listed as Buildings E and F.  Building E could be four stories of mixed use, to include 8,000 sq. ft. of commercial and Building F would be a three-story residential building.  Combined, there would be a maximum of 72 dwelling units in these Buildings. Phase III is shown as a maximum three-story building with up to 102 dwelling units.  This Phase also includes construction of the Art Walk and a Town parking lot. General Plan: The 2010 General Plan was in effect at the time of the approval of the Land Use Plan and DA.  The 2016 approval by Council included a General Plan Amendment to increase the maximum allowed density for this project to 45 units per acre.  The 2010 Plan designated this area as part of the Town Center Mixed Use area.  Development in this area could accommodate a mix of retail, office, high-density residential, and other related uses.  A mix of uses should be "carefully designed to be mutually supportive" and the project as a whole should "reinforce the viability and vision of the Town Center." In 2020 the Council and voters approved the 2020 General Plan.  The use and development pattern established in this Plan for the Town Center states:  "Continue to develop a highly integrated mix of uses to provide a vibrant town center. Encourage development with an urban form with buildings brought to the street forming a continuous street wall. Encourage active ground floor uses with a high degree of transparency and office and residential above. Buildings should be limited to three stories. Architecture should be consistent with the Town’s small-town feel. Continue to develop active public space between buildings and along streets and to improve connections from Fountain Park to the heart of the Town Center area." Downtown Area Specific Plan: The area along the Avenue is designated in this Plan as the "The Avenue District."  This area is intended to be "The core of the downtown with a comfortable atmosphere for strolling, sight-seeing and shopping. This district will evolve into a premier shopping destination for residents and a must-visit magnet for visitors."  The Plan also states: "The Avenue District is designed to accommodate a degree of other uses including second story office space, condominiums and small-scale businesses along with limited neighborhood services. If designed appropriately, a small percentage of brownstone style housing could be integrated into The Avenue District." The area to the south of the Avenue along Verde River is designated in the Plan as "The Residential District."  This area is intended to be "developed as condominiums and is a vital component in providing an infusion of people into the downtown area and enhancing the vitality and quality of the downtown experience." Town Center Commercial Zoning District: The principal purpose of this zoning district is to provide for a variety of pedestrian-oriented retail, office, lodging, residential and civic land uses in the Town Center area. The intent of the district is to encourage the development and sustainability of a vibrant mixed-use area where residents and visitors can live, work, shop, dine, be entertained, enjoy community and cultural events and contribute to the economic viability of the Town Center area and the Town as a whole. This is primarily a commercial zoning district but does allow for mixed use commercial and residential buildings.  Multi-family only buildings are permitted in limited situations.  One of the allowances for residential only buildings is when the building is setback at least 50' from the street.  This applies to Building B along Verde River.  This zoning district allows for use of a shared parking plan.  Buildings are allowed to have a zero setback and cover 100% of a lot. Site Plan Review Phase II Site Plan: The site plan for Phase II contains two buildings, E & F.  Building E is immediately east of the existing Park Place building along the Avenue of the Fountains.  Building F is at the corner of Avenue of the Fountains and Saguaro.  The project is designed with an unground parking structure.  The next level up for Building E will be an 8,000 sq. ft. non-residential space as required in the TCCD.  This floor of the building has been added at the last minute and staff does not have any details on it other than the two entry location points provided at the northeast and northwest corners of the building.  Both buildings then have three floors of residential apartments, all internally loaded from and central hallway.  There is a community space provided above the entry drive from Avenue of the Fountains that connects the two buildings.  The site plan provided with the application is reasonably consistent with the concept provided with the Land Use Plan, although Building E appeared to be two smaller buildings.  The current site plan has been modified, however, to move the parking underground. Site plan components:  Parking.  As part of the 2016 review and approval, a shared use parking study was completed.  That study was used to allow a 20% parking reduction and also to allow public spaces to be counted toward the required parking.  Based on those requirements, Buildings E and F should provide a total of 165 parking spaces (139 for residential uses and 26 for the commercial space).  167 on-site spaces and 23 off-site spaces have been provided.  There are three parking areas shown on the site plan: on-street along the Avenue of the Fountains, a small surface lot between Buildings E and F, and an underground parking area.  Access to the underground parking is through the driveways that connect to Verde River Drive and Paul Nordin Parkway. Lighting,  Details on lighting have not been provided.  It is assumed they will be similar to the existing development and will meet the requirements of the Outdoor Lighting code.  Lighting details will be reviewed with the construction documents. Elevations.  The elevations are primarily stucco with some accent areas of cultured stone veneer and honed masonry.  There is significant play in the facades and building heights to create and honed masonry.  There is significant play in the facades and building heights to create interest in the building.  The primary colors for the buildings will be four shades of white and gray.  Accent colors for some stucco, railings and stairs will be black and an orange. (Note the attached documents include black and white elevations of the most recent design.  Color elevations are provided from the previous design to show the intended material and color pattern for the buildings.) Beginning at the western end of Building E, the finish floor elevation of the lowest residential floor will be just above grade level of the adjacent sidewalk.  At the eastern end of Building E the finish floor of the lowest residential floor will be about 10' above the sidewalk.  The wall that is created along the sidewalk includes some windows with decorative wrought iron into the garage space.  This design is not consistent with the General Plan or Downtown Area specific Plan which envisions an active ground floor uses and transparency and, if residential occurs for it to be with a brownstone character. Landscaping.  The proposed landscaping along the Avenue is consistent with the rest of the street.  Within the development there is a good plant pallet and use of hardscape to provide a quality setting.   Miscellaneous Relocation of the electric box.  There is an existing electrical box located toward the southwest corner of the property that will be relocated to provide access to the underground parking.  The new location for that box has not been shown.  Relocation must be shown on the building construction plans.  Location within the public right-of-way will not be allowed.   Solid waste enclosure.  The current location proposed for the solid waste enclosure appears to be challenging for access.  The ordinance sets a minimum size of 1/3 cubic yard of container per dwelling unit.  The bin shown may not be large enough to meet the requirements.  Documentation will need to be provided with the building construction plans demonstrating the size and location will work, or provide a redesign that will work.  Water Feature.  The site plan includes a water feature along the west side of the at-grade parking area between the buildings.  This does not appear to meet code requirements regarding pool barriers.  This is a nice feature but may require some redesign in the construction documents to meet code. Phase III Site Plan: The site plan for Phase III contains one building.  The building has three floors of apartments; the apartments on the second and third floors are two-story in height.  Originally proposed with 102 apartments, the plan now has 78 units.  The building is placed over 60' back from the Verde River right-of-way to avoid the requirement for a non-residential first floor.  Shade canopies are proposed to cover 78 of the parking spaces, mostly ones closest to the building.  There is no significant "front" or main entry to the building; access is through five locations, three from the south and two from the north. This section of the site plan includes an Art Walk that will connect Paul Nordin Parkway to the Community Center Campus.    These units are larger than previously planned and will provide much needed housing for the downtown area. Site plan components:  Site plan components:  Parking. The zoning ordinance would require 170 parking spaces for this number of units.  The allowed 20% reduction places a requirement of 136 spaces; 160 "on-site" spaces are provided.  In addition, there are 74 spaces in the adjacent parking area next to the Art Walk to meet the requirements of the DA for the New Town Parking Lots. The DA requires 130 spaces in the New Town Parking Lots.  Due to various requirements outside the control of the developer, the New Town Parking lot west of Building C ended up with just 53 spaces, leaving a requirement for 77 spaces.  The three parking aisles just north of the Art Walk contain 74 spaces.  To meet the DA requirements, three spaces within the remaining parking field would need to be considered part of the New Town parking lot and available for general public use, or three more spaces could be added into the Town Parking lot.  If the additional spaces are added to the area next to the Art Walk, it would be acceptable to close the connection between the two parking areas, if desired by the applicant. Lighting.  Parking lot and building lighting has not been specifically designed at this time.  It will be required with construction drawings and to be compliant with the Outdoor Light standards of the zoning ordinance. Elevations.  The building exterior is primarily stucco with a white and three shades of gray.  Some areas of accent cultured stone veneer are also provided.  Accent color for balconies, railing and awnings is a shade of red and a shade of orange.  See the color elevations for details (the attached color elevations are from a previous version of the proposed development, revised color elevations will be required). Landscaping. The landscape plan has not been revised to be consistent with the latest site plan.  The previous plan shows a variety and number of landscape materials consistent with ordinance requirements.  A revised landscape plan will be required.  The final landscape plan will need to work around the utilities to avoid conflicts shown in the plans previously provided. Art Walk.  A requirement of this development is the provision of an "Art Walk" on the Town owned property from the corner of Verde River and Paul Nordin Parkway to the Community Center.  A very conceptual plan is shown that has a center seating area with some shade and the walkway through the area.  In the latest version of the site plan the area for the Art Walk has been reduced to provide the added parking needed for the New Town parking lots.  A more detailed plan will be required as part of the permitting process. Miscellaneous Relocation of electric boxes.  There are two areas of the site, one toward the northwest corner of the property and one just south of the southeast corner of the building, that contain existing electrical boxes.  These will have to be relocated.  The developer has yet to identify where these will go.  This will have to be done with the construction documents.  They will not be allowed in the Verde River Dr. right-of-way or the Art Walk, and must be located and screened to not interfere with walkways or landscaping. Fountain Hills Sanitary District Monitoring well.  There is an existing monitoring well in the right-of-way along the curve at the street intersection next to where the access is proposed to the Town parking lot.  Continuous power will be needed to this well and final plans will need to ensure any underground storm water storage will not impact the monitoring wells. Paul Nordin Parkway right-of-way.  The right-of-way for the extension of Paul Nordin Parkway still exists through this site. The south half of the parking spaces just south of the building and the nest two rows of parking are in this right-of-way.  Because this area is proposed for private use, including covered parking, the right-of-way should be abandoned.  When this happens the north have would become part of the lot to the north and the south have to the Town property to the south.  The developer has applied for this abandonment.  It will need to be completed prior to issuance of a building permit. Related Ordinance, Policy or Guiding Principle Zoning Ordinance Section 2.04 Site Plans Zoning Ordinance Chapter 18, Town Center Commercial Zoning District 2010 General Plan 2020 General Plan Town Center Specific Plan Risk Analysis N/A Recommendation(s) by Board(s) or Commission(s) N/A Staff Recommendation(s) The proposed site plan meets the technical requirements of the zoning ordinance and DA.  There are some specific minor modifications that are needed as pointed out in the body of the report that can be addressed during the construction drawing review prior to issuance of a building permit. Due to the lack of visible commercial space that interacts with the street, staff has some concern that Building E is not meeting the intent of the TCCD, the General Plan, and the Downtown Specific Area Plan. SUGGESTED MOTION Staff will assist the Commission in crafting a motion as needed. Attachments Vicinity Map  Final Site Plans  Elevations and Landscape Plans  Development Agreement  Vicinity CASE: SIT21-000006 SITE / ADDRESS: 16865 E Avenue of the Fountains APN 176-25-642 and 176-27-612 REQUEST: Park Place Phase II and III (Site Plan) All that is Ariz on a FO U N TAIN HIL L S TOWN OF INC. 1989 MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK SALT RIVER PIMA - MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY FO R T M C D O W E L L Y A V A P A I N A T I O N SC O T T S D A L E SA G U A R O B L V D Site Location Vicinity MapMap ::CaseCase DetailsDetails AVEN U E O F T H E F O U N T A I N S PARK V I E W A V E SIT21-000006SIT21-000006 VE R D E R I V E R D R PAUL N O R D I N P K W Y EL LA G O B L V D LA M O N T A N A D R Entries to Commercial Space ITEM 6. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS STAFF REPORT    Meeting Date: 02/14/2022 Meeting Type: Planning and Zoning Commission Agenda Type: Submitting Department: Development Services Prepared by: John Wesley, Development Services Director Staff Contact Information: John Wesley, Development Services Director Request to Planning and Zoning Commission (Agenda Language):  REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON options for possible ordinance language updating regulations for group homes. Staff Summary (Background) Over the last several months staff, the Planning and Zoning Commissioners, and public have discussed issues related to provision of detoxification services in Town and the regulations for provision of group homes for the handicapped.  The goal of this discussion has been to develop any new regulations, or modifications to existing regulations as allowed and required by law while protecting our citizens and neighborhoods from potential negative impacts these land uses.  This report summarizes the issues and concerns staff has heard through these discussions and provides recommendations for modifications to our regulations for group homes.  A subsequent report will address detoxification services and provide the actual ordinance for consideration. Public Comments Through the public meetings and input from the Commission and citizens, staff has identified the following concerns to address through any proposed modifications to the existing provisions for group homes:  Compared to other types of residential activities that occur in a neighborhood, group homes that have a high turnover rate and  seem to operate more like a business than as a home; seems like they could be considered a commercial rather than a residential activity. 1. Given what has happened in some other communities where significant numbers of group homes were established, want to make sure the number allowed remains appropriate for the Town and any given neighborhood. 2. Concern that there may be operators that are not providing a proper level of care, by reducing the maximum number of residents per home could help ensure a higher ratio of caregivers to residents and improve their level of care. 3. Concern that activities beyond providing a home and level of care appropriate for a residential setting may be happening in some homes; what is "partial hospitalization" and what does it mean in terms of these types of homes; how do we monitor these homes on an ongoing basis to ensure rules and requirements are followed? 4. Concern that in the transitional type group homes where there is a high turnover that sex offenders would not be registered and the community would not have the opportunity to know about this person in their neighborhood. 5. Need to ensure homes meet all state and local requirements before they are approved.6. Look to other communities such as Scottsdale and Prescott that have handled this issue.7. From these comments and questions, it is clear that residents want the Town to take a proactive approach to ensuring, to the degree possible, that group homes are regulated and monitored in a manner consistent with state licensing procedures, that prevents an over concentration of homes, and protects residents from any bad actors. Legal Review The Town's zoning ordinance defines family as: "An individual, or two (2) or more persons related by blood or marriage, or a group of persons not related by blood or marriage, living together as a single housekeeping group in a dwelling unit."  Therefore, a dwelling unit (a single family home, an apartment in an apartment complex, a unit in a condominium, etc.) is to house one "family."  That family can be anything from the two or more people related by blood or marriage, to a single individual, to a group of individuals.  There is no limit specified as to the maximum size of a family. The term for group homes being used more often now is "community residence."  Following is a summary from portions of a legal review provided by Jon Paladini of Pierce Coleman, the Town's attorneys.  Mr. Coleman was the city attorney in Prescott when they amended the ordinances there a few years ago in response to the sudden increase in sober living homes in that community.  The full version of the information provided by Mr. Coleman is attached and is part of a larger "Fact Sheet" provided by the Town to better inform residents regarding the current nature of these homes in Fountain Hills.    WHAT DOES THE FAIR HOUSING ACT SAY ABOUT COMMUNITY RESIDENCES? The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful “[t]o discriminate in the sale or rental, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any buyer or renter because of a handicap. 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(1). It is well established that persons recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction are disabled under the FHA and therefore protected from housing discrimination. City of Edmonds v. Washington State Bldg. Code Council, 18 F.3d 802, 803, 804 (9th Cir. 1994); see 42 U.S.C. § 3602(h). It is equally well established that zoning practices that discriminate against disabled individuals can be discriminatory, and therefore violate § 3604, if they contribute to “mak[ing] unavailable or deny[ing]” housing to those persons. Since 1989, the nation’s Fair Housing Act has required all cities, counties, and states to make a “reasonable accommodation” in their zoning when the number of residents exceeds the local cap on the number of unrelated people who can live together in a dwelling so that community residences for people with disabilities can locate in all residential zoning districts.  Amendments to the FHA to include protections against disability discrimination “also apply to state or local land use or health and safety laws, regulations, practices, or decisions which discriminate against individuals with handicaps”). Finally, group homes such as the ones at issue here are “dwellings” under 42 U.S.C. § 3602(b), and therefore the FHA prohibits discriminatory actions that adversely affect the availability of such group homes. See, e.g., Schwarz v. City of Treasure Island, 544 F.3d 1202, 1213–16 (11th Cir. 2008); Lakeside Resort Enters., LP v. Bd. of Superiors of Palmyra Twp., 455 F.3d 154, 160 (3d Cir. 2006); Larkin, 89 F.3d at 289. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides that “no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity.” 42 U.S.C. § 12132. Like the FHA, this provision prohibits governmental entities from discriminating against disabled persons through zoning. See Bay Area Addiction Research & Treatment, Inc. v. City of Antioch, 179 F.3d 725, 730–32 (9th Cir. 1999). Also like the FHA, the ADA’s protections extend to persons recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. Hernandez v. Hughes Missile Systems Co., 362 F.3d 564, 568 (9th Cir. 2004).   ARE COMMUNITY RESIDENCES A BUSINESS? It is well settled that for zoning purposes, a community residence is a residential use, not a business use. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 specifically invalidates restrictive covenants that would exclude community residences from a residential district. The Fair Housing Act renders these restrictive covenants unenforceable against community residences for people with disabilities.   Residence, not treatment, is the home’s primary function. The underlying rationale for a community residence is that by placing people with disabilities in as “normal” a living environment as possible, they will be able to develop to their full capacities as individuals and citizens. The atmosphere and aim of a community residence is very much the opposite of an institution.   As the courts have consistently concluded, community residences foster the same family values that even the most restrictive residential zoning districts promote. Discussion This report focuses on possible amendments to our ordinances to better address group homes to ensure they are provided in a manner that is compatible with their residential setting.  A related topic of interest has been detoxification facilities.  Detoxification activities are not a residential land use.  Detoxification is a medical procedure that is a commercial land use activity.  Regulation of that land use will be considered in a subsequent report and is not part of what has been or will be permitted as part of the activity in a group home. Of the ideas and options provided through the Commission and public comments, staff has determined that we cannot directly implement two of the items.  These are:  Regulate group homes like home occupations.  This approach was suggested because it is often the case that a business runs the home and provides services to the residents.  Despite this method of providing the housing, as stated above, the FHAA clearly states that this land use activity is to be treated like and consider the same as other residential activities.  The goal is to create a situation where the people in the home have the opportunity to be part of a community to help them in their normalization in society. Limit the number of residents to improve the ratio of residents to support staff.  The functioning of group homes is subject to the State Department of Health Services regulations, not the Town.  The state sets the operational requirements of home, including any staff, not the Town.     Ordinance Options Given the information above and the desires of the citizens which have been expressed at multiple meetings, staff offers the following areas for Commission discussion and direction for inclusion in an ordinance modification.  Each item includes some discussion and a recommendation for what could be changed in the ordinance. Group  home definition.  A main purpose of the FHA is to integrate persons with disabilities into an environment where they can habilitate and/or rehabilitate in an environment that emulates the larger community.  The home where they live, therefore, needs to provide a family-like setting where the residents participate together in running and managing the home.  Any home can, at times require outside support services.  Group homes should also follow this characteristic with any support services or medical treatment being incidental to the primary purpose of providing a home for the residents.  Attached are the definitions which have been adopted by Prescott and Mesa that follow this approach to defining this use. The existing definition in the Fountain Hills ordinance does not contain some definitional provisions in these ordinances that would be helpful in regulating this land use to maintain the residential nature of the use.  Recommendation:  Amend the existing group home definition to better describe the family-like environment that needs to occur in these homes. Distinguishing group homes by type.  Given the non-discrimination requirements of the law and the need to provide equal access to housing for anyone regardless of handicap or disability, it is not possible to regulate one type of group home differently than another based on type of handicap or disability.  It is possible, however, to make some distinctions based on actual land use impacts based on the different types of operational features of a home.  Some homes are set up and run in a way that the residents are generally there for an extended period, usually longer than a year.  These function more like a traditional family in terms of the stability and longevity of residents in any home, similar to those in a single-residence neighborhood.  Other types of homes operate with a higher degree of turnover and residents are typically in the home for less than a year, often only a few months.  These types of homes are more like multifamily neighborhoods where there is a higher degree of turnover.  Prescott and Mesa have taken this approach in their ordinances and established sub categories for "family community residences" and "transitional community residences", see attached.  In both cities, both types of homes are allowed in single-family zoning districts, but there are additional requirements placed on the transitional homes in order to address the higher land use impacts from this type of living arrangement.  Recommendation:  Include the subtypes of "family" and "transitional" homes in the definition. Definition of Family:  Our current ordinance definition of family is: An individual, or two (2) or more persons related by blood or marriage, or a group of persons not related by blood or marriage, living together as a single housekeeping group in a dwelling unit.  Unfortunately, this definition does not include a maximum number of unrelated individuals who can live in one dwelling unit.  To set the parameters on regulation of group homes it is necessary that we change this definition to include this maximum number.  The average number of persons per household in Fountain Hills is 2.07, compared to 2.16 in Scottsdale, 2.74 in Mesa, 3.13 in Gilbert, and 2.68 for the State. Most communities have been successful in limiting the number of unrelated individuals to a maximum of 4 - 6 residents.  Given the Town's low persons per household number it is reasonable to set the maximum number in Fountain Hills at 4.  Recommendation: Amend the definition of family to set the maximum number of unrelated individual occupying one dwelling at 4. Separation requirements:  A goal of the FHA is to provide the opportunity for residents in group homes to live within neighborhoods where they can receive normalization with the community. Too many homes close together is counter to this objective.   Therefore, it is acceptable in an ordinance to prevent an over concentration of group homes.  What constitutes an over concentration, however, can be challenging and local rules can be reviewed by the DOJ for compliance with the FHA and ADA.  Most ordinances do, however, rely on minimum separation between homes.  Review of other ordinances shows a range from 800' (Prescott, measured by actual walking distance) to 1,320' (Paradise Valley, measured by straight line distance) in use by other communities.  The separation requirement currently in the Fountain Hills ordinance is 1,200' measured as a straight line distance.  Given the Town's development pattern with typical length of a block, the existing separation requirement will generally limit the number of group homes to one for every two block lengths, which should preclude creating an over concentration while not being overly restrictive.  Recommendation: maintain the current 1,200' spacing requirement Number of residents:  Homes contain "families" whether they are single individuals, people related by blood or marriage, or a group of individuals.  As part of providing accommodation for group homes for the handicapped or disabled, some number of residents in a group home is considered the same as a family and not subject to local registration requirements. Of the ordinances staff has reviewed, most start requiring registration at 5 residents.  Most codes set the maximum number of group home residents at 10, Prescott sets the maximum at 12.  Our current ordinance does not state a minimum number of residents to require registration but does have an upper limit of 10.  This upper limit is generally supported by building code requirements that transition to institutional occupancy standards for more than 10 residents.  The discussion above regarding family versus transitional community residences points out the potential for in increased impact from high turnover residences.  Therefore, it is appropriate to reduce the maximum number of residents in these types of homes when located in a single-family neighborhood.  The allowance of 4 to be unregistered could be doubled to 8 as the maximum number compatible in a single-family zoned neighborhood.  Recommendation: Require registration of group homes for 5 - 10 residents For transitional homes in a single-family zoned neighborhood, range would be 5 - 8 License requirement:  One of the challenges that was faced in Prescott is that a lot of group homes got started by groups or individuals who had no training or skills in running such homes.  As Prescott worked to address this situation, the State stepped in and created licensing requirements for sober living homes in the state.  Those rules (attached) provide a comprehensive set of regulations to ensure the person or entity providing the sober living home is meeting minimum standards for the care of the residents and to address impacts on the community.  The State already had licensing requirements for other types of assisted living group homes.  All local ordinances reviewed have required the operator to have or obtain a State license as a means to ensure the operator is meeting the standards of the industry.  Some facilities, however, do not have or need State licensing to operate.  This is particularly true for sober living homes that are run and managed by the tenants themselves.  These homes typically do not provide any services beyond the support of the individual residents working together to maintain their sobriety.  We want to make sure any homes that are established in Fountain Hills meet some minimum standards that will ensure resident's needs are taken care of and that they will address community impacts.  For those entities that do not require State licensing there are other options for outside registration and monitoring which include the Arizona Recover Housing Association or for a home to have a charter as an Oxford House.  Prescott allows for licensing or certification by any of these agencies, see attached examples.  Recommendation:  Require evidence of licensing or certification by either the Arizona Department of Health or the Arizona Recovery Housing Agency, or a charter from Oxford House as part of the local registration process. local registration process. Local registration:  Because of the need to help ensure a community does not create an institutional area made up of group homes, it is appropriate for local communities to have a registration requirement for group homes.  The Fountain Hills zoning ordinance currently requires group homes to complete a registration process.  (Licensing is done by the State.)  The specific information requirements for registration vary by community.  All require documentation of location to verify separation, evidence of a state license or equivalent, and a description of the type of home.  Some require local life-safety inspections, verification by a property owner regarding the use, property maintenance requirements, and others.  The Arizona Department of Health Services requires applicants for sober living homes to provide statement of policies and practices to address neighborhood issues (copy attached, includes example from Mesa Ordinance).  Recommendation:  Continue to require local registration that includes inspection of the home, but increase the submittal requirements to include: If the property is rented, a letter from the property owner agreeing to the proposed use; A written description of the scope of services to be provided; Acknowledgement that the home cannot house persons who could prose a threat to the community and to register any sex offenders; and, If a transitional residence, additional information regarding a contact person for complaints, a good neighbor policy to reduce impacts on neighbors, and a statement promoting the safety of the surrounding neighborhood. Annual Renewal. Another process step that is available is to require an annual renewal of the registration.  This allows staff to track the homes to be sure they have maintained the license or certification.  Recommendation:  Include an annual renewal requirement in the ordinance. Reasonable accommodation.  It is always a challenge to create an ordinance that covers every situation.  Further, there is a wide variety of disabilities that create unique situations that may not be considered by an ordinance or require a modification that was not specifically considered when drafting the ordinance.  To help meet and address the legal requirements, many local ordinances also contain a section for "reasonable accommodation."  This section of the ordinance allows for further, limited, modifications to local ordinances as may be necessary to address specific requirements when locating or establishing a group home.  Attached is a document with examples of this type of language from Prescott and Mesa.  Recommendation:  Waiver of reasonable accommodation rules be included in the ordinance for the number of residents who can be in a home.   Related Ordinance, Policy or Guiding Principle Zoning Ordinance Section 1.12, Definitions Zoning Ordinance Section 10.02, Uses permitted in single-family zoning districts Zoning Ordinance Section 11.02, Uses permitted in multi-family zoning districts Risk Analysis The Department of Justice monitors the actions taken by local jurisdictions to implement the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  While we work to protect all the residents of our Town, it is important that regulations adopted are consistent with these Federal requirements to avoid legal issues. Recommendation(s) by Board(s) or Commission(s) N/A Staff Recommendation(s) Staff, with support of our legal counsel, has reviewed numerous documents, legal requirements, and codes from other communities.  Based on this review, it has been determined that the Town must provide for group homes for handicapped and disabled persons and that they cannot be treated as businesses.  This report provides the Commission with a list of staff recommendations that can be incorporated into an ordinance that will provide for the operation of group homes in our community while increasing the oversight that goes into that allowance.  Staff is looking for Commission direction on which provisions to include in an ordinance to bring back to the March Commission meeting. SUGGESTED MOTION A specific motion is not required at this meeting.  Staff will be looking for consensus direction on which, if any, of the recommended changes should be incorporated into an ordinance to bring back to the Commission for a public hearing. Attachments Prescott and Mesa Definitions  Family and Transitional Residences  AZDHS Sober Living Rules  Licensing and Certification  State and Mesa Application Requirements  Reasonable Accommodation  Definitions Prescott Community Residence. Except as required by state law, a community residence is a residential living arrangement for 5 to 12 unrelated individuals with disabilities in need of the mutual support furnished by other residents of the community residence as well as the support services, if any, provided by the staff of the community residence. Residents may be self-governing or supervised by a sponsoring entity or its staff which provides habilitative or rehabilitative services related to the disabilities of the residents. A community residence seeks to emulate a biological family to normalize its residents and integrate them into the surrounding community. As a function of emulating a biological family, a community residence must have an established protocol to assure that the residents have access to meals at the home whether the residents dine individually or as a group. Public, charitable or social services provided meals shall not be a substitute for these protocols. Its primary purpose is to provide shelter in a family–like environment; treatment is incidental as in any home. Inter– relationships between residents are an essential component. A community residence shall be considered a residential use of property for purposes of all zoning and building codes. The term does not include any other group living arrangement for unrelated individuals who are not disabled nor residential facilities for prison pre- parolees or sex offenders. A “community residence” can be a “family community residence” or a “transitional community residence.” Mesa Community residence. A community residence is a residential living arrangement for five to ten individuals with disabilities, excluding staff, living as a family in a single dwelling unit who are in need of the mutual support furnished by other residents of the community residence as well as the support services, if any, provided by the staff of the community residence. Residents may be self-governing or supervised by a sponsoring entity or its staff, which provides habilitative or rehabilitative services related to the residents' disabilities. A community residence seeks to emulate a biological family to foster normalization of its residents and integrate them into the surrounding community. Its primary purpose is to provide shelter in a family-like environment. Medical treatment is incidental as in any home. Supportive inter-relationships between residents are an essential component. Community residence includes sober living homes and assisted living homes but does not include any other group living arrangement for unrelated individuals who are not disabled nor any shelter, rooming house, boarding house or transient occupancy. Family and Transitional Residences Prescott A family community residence is a relatively permanent living arrangement for more than 4 people with disabilities with no limit on how long a resident may live in the home. The length of tenancy is measured in years. A transitional community residence is a temporary living arrangement for more than 4 people with disabilities with a limit on length of tenancy that is measured in months, not years. Mesa Family community residence. A community residence that is a relatively permanent living arrangement with no limit on the length of tenancy as determined in practice or by the rules, charter, or other governing documents of the community residence. The minimum length of tenancy is typically a year or longer. Transitional community residence. A community residence that provides a relatively temporary living arrangement with a limit on length of tenancy less than a year that is measured in weeks or months, as determined either in practice or by the rules, charter, or other governing document of the community residence. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 1 TITLE 9. HEALTH SERVICES CHAPTER 12. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES SOBER LIVING HOMES TITLE 9. HEALTH SERVICES CHAPTER 12. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES SOBER LIVING HOMES ARTICLE 1. LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS Section R9-12-101. Definitions R9-12-102. Individuals to Act for Applicant or Licensee R9-12-103. Application for a License R9-12-104. License Renewal R9-12-105. Changes Affecting a License R9-12-106. Time-frames R9-12-107. Denial, Revocation, or Suspension of a License Table 1.1 Time-frames (in calendar days) ARTICLE 2. SOBER LIVING HOME REQUIREMENTS Section R9-12-201. Administration R9-12-202. Residency Agreements R9-12-203. Resident Rights R9-12-204. Resident Records R9-12-205. Sober Living Home Services R9-12-206. Emergency and Safety Standards R9-12-207. Environmental and Physical Plant Requirements This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 2 ARTICLE 1. LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS R9-12-101. Definitions In addition to the definitions in A.R.S. § 36-2061, the following definitions apply in this Chapter unless otherwise specified: 1. “Abuse” means: a. The same as in A.R.S. § 46-451; b. A pattern of ridiculing or demeaning a resident; c. Making derogatory remarks or verbally harassing a resident; or d. Threatening to inflict physical harm on a resident. 2. “Accept” or “acceptance” means an individual becomes a resident of a sober living home. 3. “Administrative completeness review time-frame” means the same as in A.R.S. § 41- 1072. 4. “Applicant” means an individual or business organization requesting a license under R9- 12-104 to open a sober living home. 5. “Application packet” means the forms, documents, and additional information the Department requires to be submitted by an applicant. 6. “Business organization” means the same as “entity” in A.R.S. § 10-140. 7. “Calendar day” means each day, not including the day of the act, event, or default from which a designated period of time begins to run, but including the last day of the period unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday, in which case the period runs until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday. 8. “Controlling person” means a person who, with respect to a business organization: a. Has the power to vote at least 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the business organization; b. If the business organization is a partnership, is a general partner or is a limited partner who holds at least 10% of the voting rights of the partnership; c. If the business organization is a corporation, association, or limited liability company, is the president, the chief executive officer, the incorporator, an agent, or any person who owns or controls at least 10% of the voting securities; or d. Holds a beneficial interest in 10% or more of the liabilities of the business organization. 9. “Department” means the Arizona Department of Health Services. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 3 10. “Documentation” means information in written, photographic, electronic, or other permanent form. 11. “Drug” has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 32-1901. 12. “Exploitation” has the same meaning as in A.R.S. § 46-451. 13. “Facility” means the building or buildings used for operating a sober living home. 14. “Health care provider” means a: a. Physician, as defined in A.R.S. § 36-401; b. Registered nurse practitioner, as defined in A.R.S. § 32-1601; or c. Physician assistant, as defined in A.R.S. § 32-2501. 15. “Illicit drug” means: a. A substance listed in A.R.S. § 36-2512 as a schedule I controlled substance; b. A dangerous drug, as defined in A.R.S. § 13-3401, that is not an individual’s prescription medication; or c. A prescription medication that is not an individual’s prescription medication. 16. “Licensee” means the individual or business organization to which the Department has issued a license to operate a sober living home. 17. “Manager” means an individual designated by a licensee to: a. Act on behalf of the licensee in the onsite management of a sober living home; and b. Support and assist residents of the sober living home. 18. “Modification” means the substantial improvement, enlargement, reduction, alteration, or other substantial change in the facility or another structure on the premises at a sober living home. 19. “Over-the-counter drug” means the same as in A.R.S. § 32-1901. 20. “Overall time-frame” means the same as in A.R.S. § 41-1072. 21. “Premises” means: a. A facility; and b. The grounds surrounding the facility that are owned, leased, or controlled by the licensee, including other structures. 22. “Prescription medication” means the same as in A.R.S. § 32-1901. 23. “Residency agreement” means a document signed by a resident or the resident’s representative and a manager, detailing the terms of residency. 24. “Resident” means an individual who is accepted by a licensee under the terms of a residency agreement with the individual to live at the licensee’s sober living home. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 4 25. “Resident’s representative” means: a. An individual acting on behalf of a resident with the written consent of the resident, or b. The resident’s legal guardian. 26. “Sober” or “sobriety” means that an individual is free of alcohol or drugs, except for a drug that is: a. Used as part of medication-assisted treatment, b. The individual’s prescription medication, or c. An over-the-counter drug. 27. “Staff” means the employees or volunteers who provide monitoring or assistance to residents at a sober living home. 28. “Substantive review time-frame” means the same as in A.R.S. § 41-1072. 29. “Swimming pool” means the same as “private residential swimming pool” as defined in A.A.C. R18-5-201. 30. “Termination of residency” or “terminate residency” means an individual is no longer a resident of a sober living home. R9-12-102. Individuals to Act for Applicant or Licensee When an applicant or licensee is required by this Chapter to provide information on or sign an application form or other document, the following shall satisfy the requirement on behalf of the applicant or licensee: 1. If the applicant or licensee is an individual, the individual; and 2. If the applicant or licensee is a business organization, the individual who the business organization has designated to act on the business organization’s behalf for purposes of this Chapter and who: a. Is a controlling person of the business organization, b. Is a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and c. Has an Arizona address. R9-12-103. Application for a License A. An applicant shall submit to the Department a completed application packet to operate a sober living home that contains: 1. An application, in a Department-provided format, that includes: a. The applicant’s name; b. The proposed name, if any, of the sober living home; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 5 c. The address and telephone number of the proposed sober living home; d. The applicant’s address and telephone number, if different from the address or telephone number of the proposed sober living home; e. The applicant’s e-mail address; f. The name and contact information of an individual acting on behalf of the applicant according to R9-12-102, if applicable; g. Whether the applicant agrees to allow the Department to submit supplemental requests for information under R9-12-106(C)(3); h. The maximum number of residents of the proposed sober living home; i. The name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the manager for the proposed sober living home; j. An attestation that the applicant is in compliance with local zoning ordinances, building codes, and fire codes; and k. The applicant’s signature and the date signed; 2. Documentation for the applicant that complies with A.R.S. § 41-1080; 3. If applicable, a copy of the applicant’s current certificate as a sober living home from a certifying organization approved by the Director; 4. A floor plan for the proposed sober living home, including: a. The location and size of each resident bedroom, and b. The location of each openable window or door from a resident bedroom; 5. If the premises for the proposed sober living home are leased, documentation from the owner of the premises, in a Department-provided format, that the applicant has permission from the owner to operate a sober living home on the premises; and 6. A licensing fee of $500 plus $100 times the maximum number of residents of the proposed sober living home in subsection (A)(1)(h). B. Upon receipt of the application packet in subsection (A), the Department shall issue or deny a license to an applicant as provided in R9-12-106. R9-12-104. License Renewal A. At least 60 calendar days before the expiration date indicated on a license to operate a sober living home, a licensee shall submit to the Department an application packet for renewal of the license that contains: 1. An application, in a Department-provided format, that includes: a. The applicant’s name; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 6 b. The address and telephone number of the sober living home; c. The applicant’s address and telephone number, if different from the address or telephone number of the sober living home; d. The applicant’s e-mail address; e. The license number of the sober living home; and f. Whether the applicant agrees to allow the Department to submit supplemental requests for information under R9-12-106(C)(3); 2. If applicable, a copy of the licensee’s current certificate as a sober living home from a certifying organization approved by the Director; and 3. Except as provided in subsection (B), a licensing fee of $500 plus $100 times the maximum number of residents approved for the sober living home during the current licensing period. B. A licensee may submit to the Department the licensing fee in subsection (A)(3) with an additional late payment fee of $250 within 30 calendar days after the expiration date of the license as a sober living home. C. The Department shall renew or deny renewal of a license to operate a sober living home as provided in R9-12-106. R9-12-105. Changes Affecting a License A. A licensee shall notify the Department in writing at least 30 calendar days before the effective date of: 1. Termination of operation of the sober living home, including the proposed termination date; 2. A change in the individual or business organization controlling the sober living home, including the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the individual or business organization proposing to assume control of the sober living home; 3. A change in the address of the sober living home, including the new address for the sober living home; 4. A change in the name of the sober living home, including the new name of the sober living home; 5. If the licensee is an individual, a legal change of the licensee’s name, including the new name of the licensee; or 6. A proposed change in the maximum number of residents in the sober living home or construction or modification of the facility, including: This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 7 a. A floor plan for the sober living home showing: i. If applicable, the areas in which construction or modification of the facility will occur; ii. The location and size of each resident bedroom; and iii. The location of each openable window or door from a resident bedroom; b. For a proposed change in the maximum number of residents in the sober living home: i. The proposed new maximum number of residents in the sober living home; and ii. If the proposed new maximum number of residents in the sober living home is larger than the current maximum number of residents, a fee of $100 times the difference between the current maximum number of residents and the new maximum number of residents; and c. For construction or modification of the facility, an attestation that the construction or modification will be in compliance with local zoning ordinances, building codes, and fire codes. B. A licensee shall notify the Department in writing no more than 30 calendar days after the effective date of: 1. A change in the name or contact information of an individual acting on behalf of the licensee according to R9-12-102, including the name and contact information of the new individual acting on behalf of the licensee; 2. A change in the licensee’s e-mail address, including the new e-mail address; or 3. A change in the manager of the sober living home, including the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the new manager. C. If the Department receives the notification of termination of operation in subsection (A)(1), the Department shall void the licensee’s license to operate a sober living home as of the termination date specified by the licensee. D. If the Department receives the notification in subsection (A)(2) of a change in the individual or business organization controlling the sober living home, the Department shall void the licensee’s license to operate a sober living home upon issuance of a new license to operate a sober living home. E. If the Department receives the notification in subsection (A)(3) of a change in the address of the sober living home, the Department shall review, according to R9-12-106, the licensee’s application for a new license, submitted consistent with R9-12-103. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 8 F. If the Department receives the notification of a change in the name of the sober living home in subsection (A)(4) or of the licensee in subsection (A)(5), the Department shall issue to the licensee an amended license that incorporates the change but retains the expiration date of the existing license. G. If the Department receives the notification in subsection (A)(6) of a proposed change in the maximum number of residents in the sober living home or of construction or modification of the facility, the Department: 1. May conduct an inspection of the premises as allowed by A.R.S. § 36-2063; and 2. Shall issue to the licensee an amended license that incorporates the change but retains the expiration date of the existing license if the sober living home is in compliance with A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 18, Article 4 and this Chapter. H. An individual or business organization planning to assume operation of an existing sober living home shall obtain a new license, as required in A.R.S. § 36-2062(E), before beginning operation of the sober living home. R9-12-106. Time-frames A. The overall time-frame for a license granted by the Department under this Chapter is set forth in Table 1.1. The applicant or licensee and the Department may agree in writing to extend the substantive review time-frame and the overall time-frame. An extension of the substantive review time-frame and the overall time-frame may not exceed 25% of the overall time-frame. B. The administrative completeness review time-frame for a license granted by the Department under this Chapter is set forth in Table 1.1 and begins on the date that the Department receives an application packet. 1. The Department shall send a notice of administrative completeness or deficiencies to the applicant or licensee within the administrative completeness review time-frame. a. A notice of deficiencies shall list each deficiency and the information or items needed to complete the application. b. The administrative completeness review time-frame and the overall time-frame are suspended from the date that the notice of deficiencies is sent until the date that the Department receives all of the missing information or items from the applicant or licensee. c. If an applicant or licensee fails to submit to the Department all of the information or items listed in the notice of deficiencies within 120 calendar days after the date that the Department sent the notice of deficiencies or within a time period the This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 9 applicant or licensee and the Department agree upon in writing, the Department shall consider the application withdrawn. 2. If the Department issues a license during the administrative completeness review time- frame, the Department shall not issue a separate written notice of administrative completeness. C. The substantive review time-frame is set forth in Table 1.1 and begins on the date of the notice of administrative completeness. 1. As part of the substantive review of an application for a license, the Department may conduct an inspection according to A.R.S. § 36-2063 that may require more than one visit to complete. 2. The Department shall send a license or a written notice of denial of a license within the substantive review time-frame. 3. During the substantive review time-frame, the Department may make one comprehensive written request for additional information, unless the applicant or licensee has agreed in writing to allow the Department to submit supplemental requests for information. a. The Department shall send a comprehensive written request for additional information that includes a written statement of deficiencies, stating each statute and rule upon which noncompliance is based, if the Department determines that an applicant or licensee, a sober living home, or the premises are not in substantial compliance with A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 18, Article 4 or this Chapter. b. An applicant or licensee shall submit to the Department all of the information requested in a comprehensive written request for additional information or a supplemental request for information, including, if applicable, documentation of the corrections required in a statement of deficiencies, within 30 calendar days after the date of the comprehensive written request for additional information or the supplemental request for information or within a time period the applicant or licensee and the Department agree upon in writing. c. The substantive review time-frame and the overall time-frame are suspended from the date that the Department sends a comprehensive written request for additional information or a supplemental request for information until the date that the Department receives all of the information requested, including, if applicable, documentation of corrections required in a statement of deficiencies. d. If an applicant or licensee fails to submit to the Department all of the information This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 10 requested in a comprehensive written request for additional information or a supplemental request for information, including, if applicable, documentation of corrections required in a statement of deficiencies, within the time prescribed in subsection (C)(3)(b), the Department shall deny the application. 4. The Department shall issue a license if the Department determines that the applicant or licensee and the sober living home, including the premises, are in substantial compliance with A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 18, Article 4, and this Chapter. 5. If the Department denies a license, the Department shall send to the applicant or licensee a written notice of denial setting forth the reasons for denial and all other information required by A.R.S. § 41-1076. R9-12-107. Denial, Revocation, or Suspension of a License A. The Department may deny an application or suspend or revoke a license to operate a sober living home if: 1. An applicant or licensee does not meet the application requirements contained in R9-12- 103(A) or R9-12-104(A), as applicable; 2. A licensee does not comply with requirements in A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 18, Article 4, or this Chapter; 3. A licensee does not correct the deficiencies according to the plan of correction specified in R9-12-201(J)(1) by the time stated in the plan of correction; 4. An applicant or licensee provides false or misleading information as part of an application; or 5. The nature or number of violations revealed by any type of inspection or investigation of a sober living home poses a direct risk to the life, health, or safety of a resident or another individual on the premises. B. In determining which action in subsection (A) is appropriate, the Department shall consider the direct risk to the life, health, or safety of a resident in the sober living home based on: 1. Repeated violations of statutes or rules, 2. Pattern of violations, 3. Types of violation, 4. Severity of violation, and 5. Number of violations. C. An applicant or licensee may appeal the Department’s determination in subsection (A) according to A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 11 Table 1.1. Time-frames (in calendar days) Type of approval Statutory authority Overall time-frame Administrative completeness review time-frame Substantive review time-frame Application for a license under R9-12-103 A.R.S. § 36-2062 90 30 60 Renewal of a license under R9-12-104 A.R.S. § 36-2062 30 10 20 Changes affecting a license, including modifications A.R.S. § 36-2062 60 30 30 This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 12 ARTICLE 2. SOBER LIVING HOME REQUIREMENTS R9-12-201. Administration A. A licensee of a sober living home: 1. Has the authority and responsibility for the management of the sober living home, including when the licensee designates another individual or contracts with a person to accomplish an action or perform a service; 2. Shall establish, in writing, the scope of services to be provided by the sober living home; 3. Shall designate, in writing, an individual, who may be the licensee, as the manager of the sober living home; and 4. Shall ensure that the knowledge, skills, and experience of the manager and any other staff of the sober living home are sufficient to carry out the scope of services established according to subsection (A)(2). B. A licensee shall ensure that: 1. A manager: a. Is at least 21 years of age; b. Is sober and has maintained sobriety for at least one year; c. Resides on the premises of only the one sober living home; d. Has documentation of current training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and e. Is directly accountable to the licensee for: i. The daily operation of the sober living home; ii. Enforcing all policies and procedures, house rules, and other requirements of the sober living home; and iii. All services provided by or at the sober living home; 2. Policies and procedures are established, documented, and implemented to: a. Prevent or address any concerns or complaints from individuals living in the surrounding neighborhood by: i. Identifying an individual for individuals living in the surrounding neighborhood to contact to discuss a concern; ii. Requiring the identified individual to respond to a concern or complaint, even if the issue cannot be resolved; and iii. Ensuring that requirements for residents and visitors related to parking, noise emanating from the sober living home, smoking, cleanliness of the public space near the sober living home, and loitering in front of the This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 13 sober living home or near-by homes are established, known to residents, and enforced; and b. Promote the safety of the surrounding neighborhood, to comply with A.R.S. § 36-2062(A)(3); and 3. Policies and procedures are established, documented, and implemented to protect the health and safety of a resident that cover: a. Recordkeeping; b. Resident acceptance; c. Resident rights; d. Orientation of a resident to: i. The premises of the sober living home, ii. The resident’s rights and responsibilities, iii. The prohibition of the possession of alcohol or illicit drugs at the sober living home, iv. Services offered by or coordinated through the sober living home, v. Drug and alcohol testing practices, and vi. Expectations about food preparation and chores; e. Drug and alcohol testing conducted by an independent testing facility certified under 42 C.F.R. 493 for the sober living home and other assessments of sobriety, including: i. The frequency of testing or assessment, based on the residents accepted; and ii. The compounds included in the testing panel or, if applicable, an assessment methodology, based on the sober living home’s scope of services and residents accepted; f. Allowing the acceptance and retention as a resident of an individual: i. Who is receiving and will continue to receive medication-assisted treatment; ii. Who has a co-occurring behavioral health issue, as defined in A.A.C. R9-10-101; or iii. If included in the scope of services established according to subsection (A)(2), has a co-occurring medical condition; g. House meetings, including: i. Frequency; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 14 ii. Typical duration; and iii. Participation requirements, if applicable; h. The provision of services, including: i. Facilitating peer support activities; ii. If applicable, providing other services on the premises to support sobriety or improve independent living; iii. If applicable, coordinating the provision of services to support sobriety provided by other persons; and iv. Referring a resident to other persons for the provision of services to support sobriety; i. Residents’ records, including electronic records if applicable; j. The establishment, updating, and enforcement of house rules, including: i. If applicable, curfews; ii. Requirements related to chores, smoking, and visitors; and iii. Requirements for the storage, security, and use of a resident’s prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs; k. Management of all monies received or spent by the sober living home, including: i. Accounting for monies received by residents; ii. Prohibiting a requirement for an individual or resident to sign a document relinquishing the resident’s public assistance benefits, such as medical assistance, case assistance, or supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, as a condition of residency; and iii. Providing copy of the record of the resident’s account to the resident or the resident’s representative upon request; l. Specific steps for: i. A resident to file a complaint, ii. The sober living home to respond to a resident’s complaint, and iii. The prevention of retaliation against a resident who files a complaint; m. How the licensee or the manager will respond to: i. A resident’s loss of sobriety; or ii. A resident’s sudden, intense, or out-of-control behavior to prevent harm to the resident or another individual; n. The provision of naloxone, including requirements for: i. Informing the residents, the manager, and any other staff of the This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 15 availability and location of the naloxone on the premises of the sober living home; ii. Providing training to the manager and any other staff on the correct use of naloxone; and iii. Ensuring the naloxone provided is available and not beyond the listed expiration date; and o. Termination of residency, including: i. Planning for termination of residency when the services provided by the sober living home are no longer needed by a resident, including assisting the resident to find other housing; ii. Coordinating the relocation of a resident to a health care institution or another sober living home if the resident needs services outside the scope of services provided by the sober living home; iii. Coordinating the relocation of a resident to another sober living home or other housing option if the resident terminates residency; and iv. Addressing factors that may negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood. C. A licensee shall: 1. Not act as a patient’s representative; and 2. Ensure that a manager, an employee, or a family member of a manager or employee does not act as a resident’s representative. D. If a manager has a reasonable basis, according to A.R.S. § 46-454, to believe abuse or exploitation of a resident has occurred on the premises, the manager shall: 1. If applicable, take immediate action to stop the suspected abuse or exploitation; 2. Immediately report the suspected abuse or exploitation of the resident according to A.R.S. § 46-454; 3. Document: a. The suspected abuse or exploitation, b. Any action taken according to subsection (D)(1), and c. The report in subsection (D)(2); and 4. Maintain the documentation in subsection (D)(3) for at least 12 months after the date of the report in subsection (D)(2). E. A manager shall notify: 1. A resident’s representative, family member, or other emergency contact designated by This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 16 the resident according to R9-12-202(C)(2): a. Within one calendar day after: i. The resident’s death, or ii. The resident has an illness or injury that requires immediate intervention by an emergency medical services provider or treatment by a health care provider; and b. Within seven calendar days after the manager determines that a resident is: i. Incapable of handling financial affairs, or ii. Not complying with the residency agreement; and 2. The Department, in a Department-provided format, of a resident’s death, within one working day after the resident’s death, if the resident’s death is required to be reported according to A.R.S. § 11-593. F. If a sober living home provides or arranges transportation for residents, a manager shall ensure that the vehicle used for transportation: 1. Is in good working order, and 2. Has a seat belt for each occupant of the vehicle. G. A manger shall ensure that the following are conspicuously posted in a sober living home: 1. The license of the sober living home; 2. The name and contact information for the individual or business organization controlling the sober living home; and 3. A statement of resident’s rights, including: a. The right to file a complaint about the manager or the sober living home, b. How to file a complaint about the manager or the sober living home, and c. The phone number for the unit in the Department responsible for licensing and monitoring the sober living home. H. A licensee shall ensure that a personnel record is established for a manager and any other staff of a sober living home that includes the individual’s: 1. Name; 2. Date of birth; 3. Contact telephone number; and 4. Documentation of: a. Verification of skills and knowledge sufficient to carry out the sober living home’s scope of services; b. Training in the use of naloxone; and This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 17 c. If applicable: i. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and ii. Compliance with subsection (B)(1)(b). I. A licensee shall ensure that: 1. The manager or other staff of the sober living home is on the premises within 30 minutes after notification by the Department of the Department’s presence at the sober living home; and 2. The Department is allowed immediate access to all: a. Areas of the premises; b. Information in records pertaining to the sober living home or residents, except as prohibited by 42 CFR, Part 2; and c. Staff or residents of the sober living home who are on the premises. J. If the Department notifies the licensee of noncompliance with requirements in A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 18, Article 4, or this Chapter, the licensee shall: 1. Within 14 calendar days after the date of the Department’s notice of noncompliance, establish a plan of correction, if applicable, for correction of a deficiency; and 2. Ensure that a deficiency listed on the plan of correction is corrected within 30 calendar days after the date of the plan of correction or within a time period the Department and the licensee agree upon in writing. R9-12-202. Residency Agreements A. Within three calendar days before or at the time of acceptance into a sober living home, an individual requesting to be a resident of the sober living home shall provide proof of sobriety to the manager of the sober living home. B. A manager shall not accept or retain an individual as a resident of a sober living home if the individual: 1. Is not at least 18 years of age, 2. Cannot provide proof of sobriety, or 3. Needs more support to maintain sobriety than is within the scope of services for the sober living home. C. Before or at the time of an individual’s acceptance by a sober living home, a manager shall ensure that there is a documented residency agreement between the individual and the sober living home that includes: 1. The individual’s name; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 18 2. The name and phone number of an emergency point of contact, which may be a family member or another individual designated by the individual; 3. Information about the individual’s: a. Length of sobriety; b. History of previous recovery activities; and c. Source of referral to the sober living home, if applicable; 4. Terms of occupancy, including: a. Date of occupancy or expected date of occupancy, b. Resident responsibilities, and c. Responsibilities of the sober living home; 5. The consequences of a loss of sobriety; 6. A description of the room for the individual to occupy; 7. A list of the services to be provided by the sober living home to a resident; 8. The fees to be charged to the individual for residency in the sober living home; 9. A list of the services available from the sober living home at an additional fee or charge and the associated fees or charges; 10. The policy for refunding fees, charges, or deposits; 11. The policy and procedure for a resident to terminate residency, including terminating residency because services were not provided to the resident according to the residency agreement; 12. The policy and procedure for a sober living home to terminate residency; 13. A statement that a resident has a right to file a complaint about the sober living home, manager, or licensee and a description of the complaint process; 14. A statement that a resident is expected to: a. Comply with the terms of the residency agreement and requirements established for residents according to R9-12-201(B)(2)(a)(iii) or R9-12-201(B)(3)(j); b. Maintain sobriety; and c. Participate in activities to improve life skills, support independent living, and promote recovery: i. Such as a treatment program, a self-help group, or another program to support sobriety and recovery; and ii. That may include job training, school, or looking for a job; 15. A statement that a sober living home may not require an individual to relinquish the individual’s public assistance benefits, such as medical assistance, case assistance, or This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 19 supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, as a condition of residency; 16. A statement that a sober living home must notify a family member or other emergency contact of the individual, according to R9-12-201(E)(1), if the individual: a. Dies while a resident of the sober living home, b. Has an illness or injury that requires immediate intervention by an emergency medical services provider or treatment by a health care provider, c. Appears to be incapable of handling financial affairs, or d. Is not complying with the residency agreement; 17. The name and contact information for the individual or business organization controlling the sober living home; 18. The signature of the individual and the date signed; and 19. The manager’s signature and date signed. D. A manager shall: 1. Before or at the time of an individual’s acceptance by a sober living home, provide to the resident or resident’s representative a copy of: a. The residency agreement in subsection (C), and b. Resident’s rights; and 2. Maintain the original of the residency agreement in subsection (C) in the resident’s record. E. A manager may terminate residency of a resident as follows: 1. Without notice, if the resident exhibits behavior that is an immediate threat to the health and safety of the resident or other individuals in a sober living home; 2. With a seven-calendar-day written notice of termination of residency: a. For nonpayment of fees, charges, or deposit; or b. Under the conditions in subsection (B)(3); or 3. With a 14-calendar-day written notice of termination of residency, for any other reason. F. A manager shall ensure that a written notice of termination of residency includes: 1. The date of notice; 2. The reason for termination of residency; 3. If termination of residency is because the resident needs more support to maintain sobriety than is within the scope of services for the sober living home, a description of why the sober living home cannot meet the resident’s needs; 4. The policy for refunding fees, charges, or deposits; and 5. The deposition of a resident’s fees, charges, and deposits. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 20 R9-12-203. Resident Rights A. A manager shall ensure that: 1. A resident is not subjected to: a. Abuse, b. Exploitation, c. Coercion, d. Manipulation, e. Sexual abuse, f. Sexual assault, or g. Retaliation for submitting a complaint to the Department or another entity; and 2. A resident or the resident’s representative is informed of and given the opportunity to ask questions about: a. The residency agreement, b. The costs associated with residency, c. The resident’s rights and responsibilities, d. The prohibition of the possession of alcohol or illicit drugs at the sober living home, e. Drug and alcohol testing and other assessments of sobriety, f. The consequences of loss of sobriety, and g. The complaint process. B. A resident has the following rights: 1. Not to be discriminated against based on race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or diagnosis; 2. To receive services that support the resident’s sobriety, including, if applicable, continuing to receive medication-assisted treatment while a resident; 3. To have a secure place to store personal belongings, medications, or other personal items to deter misappropriation by another individual; 4. To be able to gain access to the sober living home at any time while a resident; 5. To have access to all areas of the sober living home’s premises, except for: a. The bedrooms and secure storage locations of other residents, b. The bedroom and secure storage locations of the manager or other staff, and c. Areas of the sober living home used as the manager’s office or for storage of records or supplies for assessment of sobriety; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 21 6. To have access to meals prepared in the sober living home; 7. To review, upon written request, the resident’s own record; and 8. To receive assistance in locating another place to live if the resident’s record indicates that the resident: a. No longer needs the services of a sober living home, or b. Needs more services and support to maintain sobriety than the sober living home is authorized to provide. R9-12-204. Resident Records A. A manager shall ensure that a resident record is established and maintained for each resident that includes: 1. The original of the residency agreement in R9-12-202(C); 2. The date the resident received orientation to the sober living home, as required by R9-12- 205(A); 3. A copy of each drug and alcohol test performed on the resident by an independent testing facility, including the date of the test and the test result; 4. Any other assessments of sobriety performed on the resident, including: a. The date of the assessment, b. A description of the assessment, c. The result of the assessment, and d. The name of the individual conducting the assessment; 5. Documentation of the resident’s attendance at and participation in treatment, self-help groups, and other supports that promote recovery, including: a. The name or a description of the support towards recovery, and b. The date of the resident’s attendance; 6. A current list of medications taken by the resident and the resident’s medical conditions; 7. An account of monies received from the resident and any expenditures made specific to the resident; 8. Documentation of any complaints made by or about the resident and the outcome of each complaint; 9. Documentation of any notification made according to R9-12-201(E) about the resident; and 10. If applicable, documentation related to termination of residency, including: a. Whether termination of residency was initiated by the resident or the sober living This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 22 home, b. The reason for termination of residency, c. Any assistance the resident received in locating another place to live, and d. The date the residency ended. B. A licensee shall ensure that a resident’s record is: 1. Protected from loss, damage, or unauthorized use; 2. Available for review by the resident or the resident’s representative, within 24 hours after a request; and 3. Maintained for at least 12 months after the termination of residency. R9-12-205. Sober Living Home Services A. Within 24 hours after an individual becomes a resident of a sober living home, a licensee shall ensure that the resident receives orientation to the sober living home and premises, according to policies and procedures, that includes: 1. The location of all exits from the sober living home and the route to evacuate the sober living home in case of an emergency; 2. The location of the first-aid kit required in R9-12-206(1); 3. The use of the kitchen of the sober living home, including: a. Operation of the appliances, b. Use of food storage areas, and c. Removal of garbage and refuse; 4. The use of the washing machine and dryer; 5. The dates, time, and location of house meetings; 6. The prohibition of the possession of alcohol or illicit drugs at the sober living home; 7. Review and discussion of specific resident requirements, as applicable, such as curfews, smoking, visitors, signing in or out of the sober living home, meal preparation schedule, chore schedule, or other house rules; 8. Review and discussion of requirements related to R9-12-201(B)(2)(a)(iii); and 9. The information required according to R9-12-201(B)(3)(n). B. A manager shall: 1. Conduct drug and alcohol testing according to policies and procedures; 2. Assist a resident to identify and participate in programs to support sobriety and recovery; 3. Provide to a resident information about community resources, such as nearby bus routes, grocery stores, department stores, other places to obtain food or other personal items, This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 23 schools, libraries or other locations providing access to computers, or other locations providing items or services a resident may need. R9-12-206. Emergency and Safety Standards A manager shall ensure that: 1. A first aid kit is available at a sober living home sufficient to meet the needs of residents; 2. Naloxone is available and accessible to the manager, staff, and residents of the sober living home; 3. A smoke detector and, if there is a gas line in the sober living home, a carbon monoxide detector are installed in: a. A bedroom used by a resident, b. A hallway in a sober living home, and c. A sober living home’s kitchen; 4. The smoke detector and, if applicable, carbon monoxide detector in subsection (3) are: a. Either battery operated or, if hard-wired into the electrical system of the sober living home, have a back-up battery; and b. In working order; 5. A fire extinguisher that is labeled as rated at least 1A-10-BC by the Underwriters Laboratories: a. Is maintained in the sober living home’s kitchen; b. If a disposable fire extinguisher, is replaced when its indicator reaches the red zone; and c. If a rechargeable fire extinguisher: i. Is serviced at least once every 12 months, and ii. Has a tag attached to the fire extinguisher that specifies the date of the last servicing and the identification of the person who serviced the fire extinguisher; 6. An evacuation path is conspicuously posted on each hallway of each floor of the sober living home; 7. A written evacuation plan is maintained and available for use by the manager, any other staff of the sober living home, and any resident in a sober living home; 8. An evacuation drill is conducted at least once every six months; and 9. A record of an evacuation drill required in subsection (8) is maintained for at least 12 months after the date of the evacuation drill. This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 24 R9-12-207. Environmental and Physical Plant Requirements A. A licensee shall ensure that a sober living home: 1. Is free of any plumbing, electrical, ventilation, mechanical, chemical, or structural hazard that may result in physical injury or illness to an individual or jeopardize the health or safety of a resident; 2. Has a kitchen for use by the manager and residents of the sober living home; 3. Has a living room accessible at all times to a resident; 4. Has a dining area furnished for group meals that is accessible to the manager, residents, and any other individuals present in the sober living home; 5. For each five residents of the sober living home, has at least one bathroom equipped with: a. A working toilet that flushes and has a seat; b. A sink with running water accessible for use by a resident; and c. A working bathtub or shower with a slip-resistant surface; 6. Has heating and cooling systems that maintain the sober living home at a temperature between 70° F and 84° F at all times, unless individually controlled by a resident; 7. Has a supply of hot and cold water that is sufficient to meet the personal hygiene needs of residents and the cleaning requirements in this Article; 8. Has a working washing machine and dryer that is accessible to a resident; and 9. Has a working telephone that is accessible to a resident. B. If the sober living home has a swimming pool, a licensee shall ensure that: 1. The swimming pool is equipped with the following: a. An operational water circulation system that clarifies and disinfects the swimming pool water continuously and that includes at least: i. A removable strainer, ii. Two swimming pool inlets located on opposite sides of the swimming pool, and iii. A drain located at the swimming pool’s lowest point and covered by a grating that cannot be removed without using tools; and b. An operational cleaning system; 2. The swimming pool is enclosed by a wall or fence that: a. Is at least five feet in height as measured on the exterior of the wall or fence; b. Has no vertical openings greater that four inches across; c. Has no horizontal openings, except as described in subsection (B)(2)(e); This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 25 d. Is not chain-link; e. Does not have a space between the ground and the bottom fence rail that exceeds four inches in height; and f. Has a self-closing, self-latching gate that: i. Opens away from the swimming pool, ii. Has a latch located at least 54 inches from the ground, and iii. Is locked when the swimming pool is not in use; and 3. A life preserver or shepherd’s crook is available and accessible in the swimming pool area. C. A licensee shall ensure that: 1. A bedroom for use by a resident: a. Is separated from a hall, corridors, or other habitable room by floor-to-ceiling walls containing no interior openings except doors and is not used as a passageway to another bedroom or habitable room; b. Provides sufficient space for an individual in the bedroom to have unobstructed access to the bedroom door; c. Has at least one openable window or door to the outside for use as an emergency exit; d. Contains for each resident using the bedroom: i. A separate, adult-sized, single bed or larger bed with a clean mattress in good repair; and ii. Clean bedding appropriate for the season; and e. If used for: i. Single occupancy, contains at least 60 square feet of floor space; or ii. Two or more residents, has an area of at least 50 square feet per resident; 2. A mirror is available to a resident for grooming; and 3. Each resident has individual storage space available for personal possessions and clothing. D. A manager shall ensure that: 1. A sober living home: a. Is maintained free of a condition or situation that may cause a resident or another individual to suffer physical injury; b. Has equipment and supplies to maintain a resident’s personal hygiene that are accessible to the resident; This is an unofficial version of the rules in 9 A.A.C. 12 that were adopted, effective July 1, 2019. The official version of rules are published in the Arizona Administrative Register. 26 c. Is clean and free from accumulations of dirt, garbage, and rubbish; and d. Implements a pest control program to minimize the presence of insects and vermin at the sober living home; 2. An appliance, light, or other device with a frayed or spliced electrical cord is not used at the sober living home; 3. An electrical cord, including an extension cord, is not run under a rug or carpeting, over a nail, or from one room to another at the sober living home; 4. A resident does not share a bedroom with an individual who is not a resident; 5. A resident’s bedroom is not used to store anything other than the furniture and articles used by the resident and the resident’s belongings; 6. A resident has a lockable or other secure storage location for medications, valuables, or other personal belongings to deter misappropriation by other individuals that is accessible only by the resident and the manager; 7. If pets or animals are allowed in the sober living home, pets or animals are: a. Controlled to prevent endangering the residents and to maintain sanitation; b. Licensed consistent with local ordinances; and c. For a dog or cat, vaccinated against rabies; 8. If a water source that is not regulated under 18 A.A.C. 4 by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is used: a. The water source is tested at least once every 12 months for total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform or E. coli bacteria; b. If necessary, corrective action is taken to ensure the water is safe to drink; and c. Documentation of testing is retained for at least 12 months after the date of the test; and 9. If a non-municipal sewage system is used, the sewage system is in working order and is maintained according to applicable state laws and rules. Licensing or Certification Requirements Prescott, a footnote to Table 2.3 (2) the operator or applicant is licensed or certified by the State of Arizona to operate the proposed community residence, has certification from an appropriate national accrediting agency, or has been recognized or sanctioned by Congress to operate the proposed community residence (Note: Oxford House is recognized by Congress to operate a community residence) Mesa 3.Licensure and Certification. A community residence must obtain one (1) or more of the following: (a)License or certification from the State of Arizona required to operate the proposed community residence; or (b)Certification by the Arizona Recovery Housing Association if not required to be licensed by the State of Arizona; or (c)A "Permanent" Oxford House Charter. Arizona Department of Health Services Rules TITLE 9. HEALTH SERVICES CHAPTER 12. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES SOBER LIVING HOMES ARTICLE 2. SOBER LIVING HOME REQUIREMENTS R9-12-201. Administration B. A licensee shall ensure that: 2. Policies and procedures are established, documented, and implemented to: a. Prevent or address any concerns or complaints from individuals living in the surrounding neighborhood by: i. Identifying an individual for individuals living in the surrounding neighborhood to contact to discuss a concern; ii. Requiring the identified individual to respond to a concern or complaint, even if the issue cannot be resolved; and iii. Ensuring that requirements for residents and visitors related to parking, noise emanating from the sober living home, smoking, cleanliness of the public space near the sober living home, and loitering in front of the sober living home or near-by homes are established, known to residents, and enforced; and b. Promote the safety of the surrounding neighborhood, to comply with A.R.S. § 36-2062(A)(3). Waiver of Reasonable Accommodation Prescott D. To establish a community residence for more than 12 individuals with disabilities, the applicant may apply for a Waiver for Reasonable Accommodation for community residences for persons with disabilities which are considered and acted upon by the Community Development Director, or her designee. In all cases the Community Development Director shall make findings of fact in support of his determinations and shall render his decision in writing. The Community Development Director may meet with and interview the applicant to ascertain or clarify information sufficiently to make the required findings. To grant a Waiver for Reasonable Accommodation, the Community Development Director shall find affirmatively all of the following standards: 1. The applicant demonstrates that the proposed community residence can and will emulate a biological family and function as a residential use rather than an institutional or other nonresidential use. 2. The applicant demonstrates that the proposed community residence needs to house more than 12 residents for financial or therapeutic reasons. 3. The applicant demonstrates that the proposed community residence will not interfere with the normalization and community integration of the residents of any existing community residence and that the presence of other community residences will not interfere with the normalization and community integration of the residents of the proposed community residence. 4. The applicant demonstrates that it will operate the home in a manner similar to that ordinarily required by state licensing to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants of the proposed community residence. 5. The applicant demonstrates that the proposed community residence in combination with any existing community residences will not alter the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood by creating an institutional atmosphere or by creating a de facto social service district by concentrating community residences on a block or in a neighborhood. E. An applicant may appeal denial of a Waiver for Reasonable Accommodation by the Community Development Director or her designee pursuant to Section 9.17. Mesa D. Reasonable Accommodation. A community residence that does not meet the spacing, occupancy or licensure requirements may request a reasonable accommodation through the special use permit process. The accommodation being sought must be reasonable and necessary to afford individual(s) with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing that is the subject of the request. The process to apply for a special use permit are provided in Chapter 67, Common Procedures, except a citizen participation plan and report is not required. 1. Accommodation to Spacing Requirements. A special use permit to the spacing requirements shall be granted only if the governing body finds that the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed use meets all of the following criteria: (a) The proposed use will not interfere with the community integration of the residents of any existing community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers, or their ability to interact with neighbors without disabilities; and the presence of other community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers will not interfere with the community integration and interaction of the residents of the proposed use; (b) The proposed use in combination with any existing community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers will not alter the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood by creating or intensifying an institutional atmosphere or by creating or intensifying a de facto social service district by clustering or concentrating community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers; and (c) The proposed use complies with all other development standards in this Chapter. 2. Accommodation to Licensure Requirements. When the state, Arizona Recovery Housing Association or Oxford House does not offer a license, certification, or charter for the type of community residence and the population it will serve, the community residence may request a special use permit. the special use permit shall be granted only if the governing body finds that the applicant has demonstrated that all of the following criteria are met: (a) The proposed use will operate in a manner effectively similar to a licensed or certified community residence; (b) Staff will be adequately trained under standards typically required by the state or Oxford House for a community residence; (c) The proposed use will have operating rules and practices that will protect residents from abuse, exploitation, fraud, theft, insufficient support, use of illegal drugs or alcohol, and misuse of prescription medications; (d) The proposed use will emulate a family and will operate to achieve community integration; and (e) The proposed use otherwise complies with all other development standards in this Chapter. 3. Accommodation to Occupancy Limits. A community residence that wants to house more than ten (10) people may request a special use permit. A special use permit shall be granted only if the governing body finds that the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed community residence meets all of the following criteria: (a) The number of residents over ten (10) is needed for therapeutic viability of the proposed community residence; (b) The number of residents in the proposed community residence will emulate and operate as a family rather than a boarding house, skilled nursing facility, short-term rental, treatment center, social service facility or other nonresidential uses; and will not interfere with the community integration of the occupants of any existing community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers; (c) The primary function of the proposed community residence is residential where any treatment is merely incidental to the residential use of the property; (d) The proposed community residence has sufficient parking for the requested number of occupants so as not to impact the adjacent properties; and (e) The proposed use complies with all other standards in this Chapter.