FARRELL

Planners deadlock on Crossroads’ plans for school at group home

Farrell council passed a new zoning ordinance in July ‘99, but two members of the city planning commission believe council should revive the spirit of the old one in the case of a proposed alternative school.

Crossroads Inc. operates a group home for girls aged 13-18 in the Personalized Mortgage Center building, 1243 Roemer Blvd., and wants to build a school for the girls in the garage. Some construction has already begun, said President Christine McDuffie.

Zoning officer Mark Yerskey said he thinks the proposal falls under the conditional use category in the zoning ordinance, which says public or private, accredited schools or religious instruction facilities are permitted with the approval of council after a review by the planning commission.

The building is in a single-family residential zone.

Planning commission Chairman R. Jerome Miller and member Fred Hughes didn’t agree. They made a motion Thursday recommending that council turn the matter over to the zoning hearing board for a decision.

But members Toby Jackson and the Rev. Robert Chavers voted against the motion, killing it by a vote of 2-2. They made a motion that the board recommend that council allow the school. It died by the same vote.

Commissioners Fran Dunkerly, Paula Gargano and Michael Wright did not attend the meeting.

"I think it goes to back to council regardless," said City Manager LaVon Saternow. "It goes to council with no recommendation."

Council will likely discuss the matter Sept. 25, she said.

Crossroads’ proposal was the first time the planning commission had considered a conditional use, a category created by the new zoning ordinance. Miller said the proposal does not constitute a conditional use at all. It should be labeled a special exception, a matter decided by the zoning hearing board.

The ordinance lists special exceptions as home occupations offices, public utilities, personal care homes and group day-care homes.

The building -- the former Tennant-Lucas Funeral Home -- received a variance under the old zoning ordinance for general and professional offices on the first floor, leaving the second for a single-family apartment.

A family is defined as a group of people living together, regardless of whether they are related, Yerskey said.

Because the variance was granted by the zoning hearing board, it should decide if Crossroads’ proposed school is an acceptable use, Miller said.

Yerskey disagreed. He said he thinks the new zoning ordinance wiped out the variance.

Miller initially questioned the need for the school -- he said the school district could better handle the students -- but said his opposition to recommending approval or not was based only on his technical reading of the ordinance.

"I feel the negative feeling for what we’re trying to do," said Crossroads treasurer Rhett Duleba. "Why wouldn’t you want us to prosper and do well for the community?"

Jackson and the Rev. Chavers said the welfare of the children was more important to them.

"Everyone you can get in a school system is needed," argued Jackson, who served on the school board for 11 years. He also said the taxpayers cannot afford to pay for a separate building to house disruptive students.

"I’m more concerned about the children that go in there more than brick and mortar," the Rev. Chavers said.