MoreThanTheCurve.com reported earlier this week that Plymouth Township’s Council is in the initial stages of considering an ordinance that would allow “group homes” in the township. We now can share more.
The proposed ordinance defines “Family,” “Communal Living Facility,” “Sober Living Environment,” and “Rooming House” and then amends the AA Residential Zoning District to allow “Communal Living Facility” and “Sober Living Environment” as permitted uses within the AA Residential Zoning District.
You can read the proposed ordinance here.
Currently, the only permitted uses in the AA Residential Zoning District are single-family detached dwellings and agriculture. Four uses are also currently allowed with a special exception including education/religious, golf courses, cemeteries, and municipal controlled recreation.
The one caveat that could place limits on the ability to turn any home in the district into one of these proposed uses is a requirement for parking, which is beyond what is required for a single-family detached dwelling. The ordinance would require the parking to be on the same lot and to be “all-weather.” It would then need to meet the following:
Communal living facility; one (1) space for each nonresident staff
working at the facility at the same time, one (1) space for every resident
up to five (5) residents, and one (1) space for every two residents over the
initial five residents, unless satisfactory proof is submitted to the
Township that such individuals are incapable or not permitted to operate
a motor vehicle during the period of residency at the facility.
During a September 10th meeting, Plymouth’s Council discussed the process to move the ordinance forward for consideration (the above video is cued to the discussion). It will likely be an agenda item to discuss further on September 14th and then a formal vote could be taken in October.
Transparency Alert!
In the above video, you will see a member of council ask if the ordinance had been advertised. It has not yet been formally advertised as required prior to formal consideration (which is fine), but the township manager states it has been on the township’s website for the public to see.
That isn’t enough. Why hasn’t it been shared on social media by the township or any of the council members? The council members who most recently ran (Chris Manero and Kathy Bandish) declined to sign a transparency pledge submitted by MoreThanTheCurve.com that asked them to do more than just what is required when it comes to transparency in government.