Council denies SUP for group home at 2772 Pleasant Hill Road, grants occupants 60 days

The Grand Prairie City Council voted Wednesday to deny a specific use permit (SUP) for a registered group home at 2772 Pleasant Hill Road after extended public comment from neighbors, an owner, and the operator.

Staff explained the SUP was required because the property is within 2,500 feet of an existing registered group-living facility; the planning commission had recommended denial and the development review committee had recommended approval with conditions limited to three occupants and compliance with state licensing. "An SUP is required if the subject property is located within 2,500 feet of another group living residential unit," planning staff said.

Applicant Mary Dorsey told council the small operator had been unaware of the zoning requirement when they began operating and said the house currently serves three seniors, one of whom is a veteran. "We take really good care of them," she said. The operator asked that the residents not be uprooted and said they were willing to comply with conditions.

Neighbors told a different story: nearby residents and the homeowner who owns multiple properties in the area described frequent public-service and emergency responses and said they were not informed by the operator or HOA before the facility began operating. Jason Garrels, who said he lives about 100 yards from the house, said he obtained records showing eight calls to the address since January 2025 — more than the three medical calls staff reported — and said repeated responses strain city resources. "Eight times," Garrels said.

Council members raised questions about whether other similar group homes in the area are properly permitted and how the 2,500-foot rule is enforced. Council Member Lopez said the presence of another registered facility nearby gave her pause and moved to deny item 23 while giving the current occupants at least 60 days to relocate; the motion passed on a voice vote.

The denial means the applicant cannot operate the group home at that address unless future council action changes the ruling or a new compliant application is presented. Staff said enforcement and verification of other group-home registrations would be followed up after the meeting.