GROUP HOMES MAY NOW HAVE TO GO TO PUBLIC HEARINGS

Residents who created an uproar about the opening of a drug and alcohol
recovery home in 1999 may win their battle after all.

City council is considering creating a bylaw that would force any new drug
and alcohol recovery home to apply for rezoning-meaning there would be a
public hearing before it receives approval.

"It could be a victory for the Richmond residents finally," said John Wong,
president of the Oaks Residents Association. Wong's group and others have
long been pressing the city to create a bylaw for recovery homes. Wong was
a member of the Group Home Task Force, but did not sign the final report.

On Monday, councillors reviewed a staff report that recommended approval of
the final report of the task force. But included in the staff document was
information about recent changes to provincial legislation, which mean that
recovery homes providing room, board and "lay counselling" would not
require licensing.

Previously, all recovery homes required licensing through the local health
authority, who could control the number and operations of facilities.

Councillors voiced concern that, if the city doesn't regulate the homes
through zoning, there would be no limit to the number of or location where
they could be established.

The city is now left with some clear choices: Does it create a special
zoning category for recovery homes alone, create a zone for recovery homes
and another for all other group homes, or force all group homes to rezone
in a single category? Or do they decide to not require rezoning at all?

Recovery homes are, by design, transient. People live there for short
periods, spanning from just a few days to several weeks.

This makes it difficult to nearby residents to feel secure that they know
their neighbour, Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt argued.

"To say they're part of a community is erroneous," she said. "I think you
have to address the concerns of a neighbourhood."

Other than protestors, Turning Point has not received any complaints since
it opened in Odlinwood in 1999, according to Richmond Health Services. It
was located on Adams Place for 10 years prior and, similarly, there were no
complaints there.

Coun. Kiichi Kumagai said the purpose of the zoning is to ensure the city
has a measure of control.

"I'm not trying to discriminate," he said. "I'm trying to regulate."

The new bylaw could require all new group homes to be located on arterial
(main) streets, and that they be at least 200 metres from schools or parks.

Task force spokesman Everett Mackenzie encouraged council to reject these
requirements.