Bill would set zoning rules for recovery housing residences

A person or government entity could operate a recovery housing residence as a permitted use in specified residential districts. Residences for one to five unrelated people could operate in any residential district, including single-family districts; residences for six or more unrelated people could operate in multiple-family districts. Small residences could still have to follow area, height, yard, and design rules that apply uniformly to all single-family residences in the district. A local government with planned-unit-development rules could exclude residences for six or more people from those developments. A local government could treat larger residences as conditional uses or special exceptions under reasonable, specific standards covering design, site layout, walls, fences, yards, parking, or signs. The rules would begin when the new section takes effect; the supplied text does not state an effective date.

A local government could limit excessive concentrations of recovery housing residences but could not stop qualifying existing residences from continuing to operate. The protection would cover recovery housing residences that are already existing and operating when the new section takes effect. A local government could count existing residences when deciding whether to limit excessive concentration. The section would not prevent a local government from allowing a residence in a single-family district under locally established conditions. The protection would apply to residences existing and operating on the section's effective date; the supplied text does not state that date.