City Council Adopts New Standards Regarding Group Homes

The city of Agoura Hills will have more control over the running of community group homes following the approval of a new zoning ordinance on Wednesday evening.

The City Council voted unanimously to amend the ordinance to the General Plan by adopting new standards and definitions for mobile homes, community care facilities, single-room occupancy hotels, transitional housing, emergency shelters and inclusionary housing requirements for condominium conversions. 

“The biggest significance of this amendment pertains to group homes in our area,” said Mayor Harry Schwarz.  The ordinance states that when a community care facility, whether large (seven beds or more) or small, applies for a license with the state for an Agoura Hills location, the city receives a 45-day notice to issue a conditional use permit (CUP).

“This CUP enables us to set up certain guidelines which a community care residence must meet, particularly with regards to proper supervision, environmental requirements and proximity to another care facility,” Schwarz said.

Under the current plan, a new facility may not be placed within 300 feet of an already existing group home.

During the session, Councilman William Koehler expressed concern over whether neighbors adjacent to such facilities should be notified when an application is in place. “The state mandates the inclusion of these group care homes, and while I am not opposed to them, we still have very little imput on the particulars of these facilities,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Kuperberg responded by stating that consideration of how and when neighbors should be notified is an issue that should be further reviewed by the council. “There are plenty of nuances to consider in this issue, particularly if you are referring to a home for troubled teens verses a medical care home for the elderly," he said. "This is something we will need to look further into.”

Should a community group facility not meet with the CUP standards, the city would have the right to shut it down and notify the state, according to Schwarz. “At first, I was under the impression that we had no voice when it comes to this issue,” he said.  “It’s nice to know we do."

The city's General Plan was adopted on March 24, 2010, and establishes the physical development of the city over the next 20 years.  The General Plan is a strategic document that provides a policy framework for all land use decisions made by the city.