Green Level Council tables permit appeal for proposed family care home after distance and ordinance questions

Town Administrator Barrett Brown presented an appeal from Lesley Carter after a permit application for a family care home was denied because the property fell just under the town’s half-mile separation requirement. Carter told the council her proposed family care home would house geriatric patients over age 65 in a four-bedroom house and provide 24-hour care, and she argued the nearby facility is a different type of operation.

Councilmembers pressed for factual clarity and legal context. Councilmember Stephanie Enoch said she supported the idea of such care in the area but had not had adequate time with the information to vote. Councilmember Hosea McBroom asked about the precise distance between the two homes and noted community need for the facility type. Town Attorney Eugene Russell reviewed the ordinance language and said the town’s Code of Ordinances requires at least a half-mile separation between two boarding houses but that the council could amend the distance or create language allowing exceptions or distinctions between care facility types.

Town Administrator Brown summarized the factual check: "the distance was investigated by the Code Enforcement Officer, coming in just under a half mile, which is why the permit was denied." After debate, Councilmember McBroom moved to table the permit appeal discussion for further investigation; Councilmember Michael Trollinger seconded and the motion passed unanimously (5-0).

Why it matters: the decision affects whether a small, locally operated family care home providing geriatric 24-hour care can locate in the town and whether the ordinance should be amended to distinguish different types of care facilities.

What’s next: the council tabled the item and asked staff to verify measured distances and provide options for ordinance language or exceptions before bringing the appeal back for consideration.

Quote: Town Administrator Barrett Brown said, "the distance was investigated by the Code Enforcement Officer, coming in just under a half mile, which is why the permit was denied."