The Little Rock Planning Commission is being advised to turn down a request Thursday to allow a youth group home to operate on South Pulaski Street.
Trina Johnson has applied for a special use permit to operate the Johnson Group Care Facility at 1102 S. Pulaski St.
The proposed home would house up to 16 youths ages 12 to 17, who would be referred to the facility by the state Children and Family Services Division, the courts, churches or the child's parents or guardians.
Three workers also would be on the premises at any given time, according to the proposal, which says there would be three staff members and two "house parents."
The city's Planning and Development Department has recommended that the Planning Commission deny the request.
"Staff feels that the proposed occupancy of 16 residents and three staff members is too intense for this area. The proposed occupancy is very institutional in scale," the department told commissioners. "All of the surrounding properties are small scale residential properties, including single family occupancy. Staff believes that a group care facility for 16 residents at this location could have an adverse impact on the surrounding residential properties."
The city has received five public comments against the youth home so far.
Chandria Willis, who lives next door to the proposed site, expressed the same concerns as the Planning and Development Department.
"I know that group homes are necessary, and my heart goes out to the children who are required to live in such facilities. HOWEVER, I don't think that the appropriate location for such a facility is in the middle of a residential neighborhood ... around the corner from an elementary school. I definitely do not want to have to worry about the safety of my children and other children in the neighborhood," Willis wrote in an email to the city.
Three neighbors who live on Cross Street signed duplicate letters that said a youth home would "bring disturbance of safety and peace of mind" to the neighborhood.
Starre Haas, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, wrote an objection from the association that said such a large-scale operation would have an adverse effect on the area.
"Members expressed concern that too few adults would supervise the youths, aged 12 to 17, under one roof together. We also were concerned at the possible undesirable outcome to placing two and three in a single bedroom together," Haas wrote in the letter.
Johnson wrote in her application that the following activities would take place at the house: recreational therapy, art therapy and the teaching of coping skills, positive habits, motivation and success, self-esteem, relationship building, boundaries and goal setting.
There also would be individual and group counseling sessions by a licensed therapist, medical management by a psychiatrist and medical physician, and case manager visits.
There are no other transitional-type residential facilities within 1,500 feet of the property.
Under the proposal, there would be 10 bedrooms, ranging from 106 to 213 square feet, that would house one to three people each. Those measurements meet the city's requirements for such facilities.
The building is 2,912 square feet. The Little Rock fire marshal has approved the requested occupancy of the structure.
Metro on 10/05/2016