Community Residence Registration

Overview

A Community Residence is a residential living arrangement for 5 to 10 individuals with disabilities, excluding staff, living as a family in a single dwelling unit who are in need of the mutual support furnished by other residents of the community residence as well as the support services, if any, provided by the staff of the Community Residence.  

Community Residence includes sober living homes and assisted living homes but does not include any other group living arrangement for unrelated individuals who are not disabled nor any shelter, rooming house, boarding house or transient occupancy. Please visit Chapter 87 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance for a complete definition of a Community Residence.  

Each Community Residence desiring to operate in Mesa must register with Mesa’s Planning Division.  

The main steps in the process are:

1

Verify Eligibility
Contact the Planning Division to verify eligibility and discuss required processes.

2

Application Submittal
Prepare and submit all necessary documents for registration online.

3

Staff Review
Receive review comments and revise and resubmit documents online.

4

Public Notice
If the Community Residence requires a conditional use permit, provide notice to the public of the proposed project.

5

Provisional Approval
Receive provisional zoning approval to submit for State licensing.

6

Finalize Registration
Provide the State and Mesa with approval documentation to finalize registration.

 

Step 1: Verify Eligibility

Community Residences are subject to the regulations found in Section 11-31-14 of the Zoning Ordinance including spacing requirements from other Community Residences, Assisted Living Homes, and Assisted Living Centers.

Furthermore, in certain zoning districts Community Residences are not allowed by right but require the approval of a Conditional Use Permit. 

Contact the Planning Division at 480-644-2385 or Planning.info@mesaaz.gov to verify whether the proposed site meets the spacing requirements, its eligibility for registration, and to discuss the required entitlement process.

Step 2: Application Submittal 

Community Residence Registration applications must be submitted electronically via the DIMES portal.

The applicant is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all information submitted. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted. 

Required Documents: 

  • Residential Building Application - submitted through the DIMES portal
  • Community Residence Registration form(PDF, 179KB)
  • Occupancy Confirmation Worksheet(PDF, 1MB)
  • Property Owner Authorization(PDF, 162KB)
  • Project Narrative - which describes the operational characteristics and provides the following information:
    • Facility name, address, phone number, and email address
    • Facility operator/responsible person’s name, address, phone number, and email address
    • Type of Community Residence
    • Type of license or certification that is being obtained from the State of Arizona, the Arizona Recovery Housing Association or  indicate “Permanent” Oxford House Charter
    • Number of residents
    • Age range of the residents
    • Whether fire sprinklers are installed
    • Whether fire sprinklers are installed. If yes, please provide a third-party inspection report completed within the last 12-month period.
    • Whether fire sprinklers are monitored by an off-site agency. If yes, please provide verification of off-site monitoring.
    • Explain what services are provided at the facility
    • Explain how the residents are supervised at the facility
  • Site Plan – fully dimensioned site plan showing the location and area of site development features including but not limited to, buildings, structures, drive aisles, parking spaces, sidewalks, etc. Please include the address of the property on the site plan, label the street names and provide a compass orienting the map.
  • Floor Plan of the facility

Additional Document Required for Special Use Permit and Council Use Permits:

  • Citizen Participation Plan - describing the residents, neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations that may be impacted and how the applicant intends to inform and engage the public in their development plans 
  • Project Narrative - In addition to the narrative requirements above, describe how the project meets the following approval criteria:
    1. The proposed use will be compatible with the residential uses allowed as of right in the zoning district;
    2. The proposed use in combination with any existing community residences, assisted living homes, and assisted living centers will not result in a clustering of such uses or alter the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood by creating or intensifying an institutional atmosphere; and
    3. The proposed use will not interfere with normalization and community integration of the residents of any existing community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers, and that the presence of other existing community residences, assisted living homes, or assisted living centers will not interfere with normalization and community integration of the residents of the proposed use.
  • Good Neighbor Policy – which includes:
    1. A description of acceptable measures to ensure ongoing compatibility with adjacent uses;
    2. The name and telephone number of the manager or person responsible for the operation of the facility;
    3. Complaint response procedures including investigation, remedial action, and follow-up procedures; and
    4. A description of how the proposed use complies with all other development standards in this Section 11-31-14 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance.

 

Step 3: Staff Review

Staff will review the Community Residence Registration application for compliance with all appropriate standards, codes, specifications and if deemed eligible for registration will place a temporary hold on the proposed location on the Community Residence map. 

Staff will provide written comments identifying any requirements that need to be resolved within:

  • 16 working days of the application acceptance for a Community Residence Registration application that are eligible for administrative review;
  • 5 working days of the next closest formal submittal listed on the Board of Adjustment Calendar(PDF, 353KB) for a Community Residence Registration application that requires a Special Use Permit; or
  • 8 working days of the next closest formal submittal listed on the Planning & Zoning Board Calendar(PDF, 372KB) for a Community Residence application that requires a Council Use Permit.

The applicant will revise pertinent documents to address review comments and provide a written comment response letter stating how each review comment was addressed.

This process repeats until all requirements are met.

 

 

Step 4: Public Notice (if applicable)

In certain zoning districts, community residences are not allowed by right but require the approval of a Special Use Permit or Council Use Permit.

The applicant is responsible for providing public notice for Special Use Permit and Council Use Permit applications.

Visit the Special Use Permit Process page for noticing requirements for the Board of Adjustment. Visit the Council Use Permit page for noticing requirement for the Planning & Zoning Board and City Council.

 

 

Step 5: Provisional Approval

For applications eligible for administrative review, City staff will provide a provisional approval letter if all requirements of Section 11-31-14 of the Mesa Zoning Ordinance have been met.

For applications that require a conditional use permit, approval from City Council or Board of Adjustment grants provisional approval.

 

Step 6: Finalize Registration

The applicant will provide Mesa’s provisional approval to the State licensing or certification body as evidence of zoning compliance.

To obtain final registration, the applicant will upload a copy of their license or certification from the State of Arizona, certification from the Arizona Recovery Housing Association, or “Permanent” Oxford House Charter to the case file within 120 days from the date the provisional approval was granted

Once received, Mesa staff will place a permanent hold on the site location on the Community Residence map.