The Reporting section requires that a facility report to the police if someone is missing longer than 30 minutes.
The Admission section requires strict screening of persons prior to admission to the home.
The Services section requires “watchful oversight” and a “daily awareness” of residents’ whereabouts.

The Peer Support and Wellness Center does not follow any of these requirements. As such, the community doesn’t believe it’s a personal care home, and the operator of the facility does not disagree.

How many residents can I have in my home?

The number of residents you can have in your home is dependent on several factors. The home must provide a bathroom for every four residents and a tub/shower for every eight residents. The home must provide a living room, a dining area, a kitchen and a bedroom for all residents and any staff and family members who live in the home. The number of residents you can accommodate in each bedroom (up to a maximum of four residents) is based on the size of the bedroom (at least 80 square feet of useable floor space per resident). Closet and bathroom space is not included in the square footage requirement. The home must also have a fire inspection, and this inspection can also determine how many residents you can have. Local requirements may also restrict the number of residents you can have.

Here’s the state definition:
http://dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHS-ORS/menuitem.3ab193ac3b6d6a608e738510da1010a0/?vgnextoid=6b7e4548b73f1010VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD

It’s true that the facility has been responsive to the concerns of neighbors once concerns were brought to them. Also, the operators of the facility have been nothing but honest and helpful in responding to the neighbors’ questions. I heard a lot of people at the neighborhood meeting thanking the facility and its operator for being so responsive to concerns which could be addressed. Unfortunately, this isn’t a situation where some behavior can be changed to address others’ concerns. The nature and design of the Peer Support and Wellness Center conflicts with what is allowed under the R-60 zoning, which this neighborhood is zoned as. That is the crux of the neighborhood’s concerns.

R-60 zoning requires that personal care homes for the mentally ill be allowed. No public hearings or neighborhood approval is required. However, the definition of personal care homes contains many safeguards to address safety and traffic concerns. Personal care homes are limited to 6 residents. The residents must be screened, there must be careful documentation of the residents’ medical status, and the police must be notified if any resident is missing for more than 30 minutes. The operator of the Peer Support Center said that her facility does not comply with any of these requirements as these requirements conflict with the purpose of the Center, which allows people to come and go as they please to seek services and support as they see fit.

The city has apparently focused on the fact that the Center limits overnight guests to 6 persons, and has not addressed the fact that the Center serves up to 25 persons a day and does not comply with the other safeguards required of personal care centers.