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Community Options group home gets green light from zoning board in Unity Township

January 26, 2022 | latrobebulletinnews.com online article

Community Options Inc. received approval from the Unity Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday for a special exception to operate a group home at 3143 McClellan Drive in the Charter Oak neighborhood in Unity Township. Photo by Amy Fauth
Community Options Inc. received approval from the Unity Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday for a special exception to operate a group home at 3143 McClellan Drive in the Charter Oak neighborhood in Unity Township. Photo by Amy Fauth

Community Options group home gets green light from zoning board in Unity Township

Community Options Inc. was narrowly granted a special exception Tuesday to operate a group home on McClellan Drive in the Charter Oak neighborhood by the Unity Township Zoning Hearing Board.

The decision, a 3-2 vote, came down after a motion to deny the request failed by the same margin.

Judge Jim Kelly was one of the dissenting votes. He said he voted to deny the special exception because he believed that allowing the group home would “change the nature of this community,” and that other areas of the township would be a better fit.

However, Kathy Matta pointed out that group homes are already a part of the zoning ordinance as one of the special exceptions that could be considered for an R1 or residential zone, like this neighborhood is.

To approve the exception there are a number of provisions Community Options must meet, and Matta said they have.

“They have satisfied these requirements as far as I can see,” she added.

Kelly said that Charter Oak was laid out as a neighborhood of single-family homes, but Matta said in 2022 the definition of a “single family” is vastly different than it was 20 years ago.

The board’s solicitor David DeRose said the board’s role in the proceeding is just to determine whether the applicant has satisfied the requirements laid out in the township’s ordinance.

“There is absolutely no doubt that group homes are an acceptable use for an R1 zone,” said DeRose.

The special exception was granted for 3143 McClellan Drive, with a number of conditions outlined by township solicitor Gary Falatovich prior to the vote, including limiting the group home to two residents, along with notifying the township when there is a change in occupancy and providing general information to the township when the police are called.

He added that the township would support the granting of the request if Community Options agreed to the conditions, which the company’s representative, Stephen Hall has said in the past it would.

After the meeting, Hall had little to say, but did comment on behalf of the resident, Josh.

“I’m very happy for Josh,” said Hall. “He’s coming into a great community.”

Hall added that the process and comments made by several members of the community during the public hearing held a few weeks ago haven’t changed his opinion that Charter Oak is a great community.

He said renovations on the home will be completed soon and Josh is anxious to move in by March 1.

Initially, Josh was to live there with a man named Jimmy, but he passed away in October while waiting for a heart transplant. Hall said there aren’t any plans to move another person into the home as of yet, but that he will take special care to look for a compatible match — someone that’s near Josh’s age and shares Josh’s interests.

According to Hall, Josh likes to play basketball and loves video games.

“He’s just a great young man,” added Hall.

Unlike the public hearing, which drew a lot of Charter Oak residents, the meeting only had a few representatives in attendance.

One only commented at the end of the meeting by thanking Kelly for his “wisdom.”

After the board voted on this matter, it went into its 2022 reorganization meeting, at which Jackie Nindel was voted in as chair, Matta as vice chair and Dorothy Zello as secretary. DeRose was maintained as solicitor.