Paradise Valley council has asked staff to look into reducing the number of residents allowed to live in future group homes within the town.
Council members say group homes can detract from the single-family home character that Paradise Valley is known for.
Councilmember Julie Pace said for a while she has been advocating for decreasing the number of individuals allowed in group homes.
“We have been bringing this up this year with a lot of questions and concerns about the size and volumes that these group homes have increased to and the adverse impacts it is having on our residential neighborhoods,” Pace said. “I know that council years ago looked at this with a deep dive and I wish we could have done it then.”
Group homes may be licensed for a maximum of 10 residents, not including staff, according to Arizona state law.
However, Community Development Director Chad Weaver said the law does allow for a minimum of six residents in group homes.
“I have worked with the town attorney to clarify the current state of the state rules on group homes and we have determined that an option for the town to consider would be to reduce that 10 down to six,” he said.
Group homes operate under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act to allow people with disabilities to live in residential neighborhoods.
They can be subject to local zoning regulations, and municipalities may create their own ordinances to further regulate them.
If the council were to eventually decide to reduce the number to six, Weaver said the existing group homes would likely be grandfathered and not be affected.
There are as many as 12 group homes in Paradise Valley, the majority of which are senior living homes. There are no sober living homes in the town.
Councilmember Anna Thomasson said she is in favor of reducing the number from 10 to six.
Reducing the number of residents in group homes will get the town back to its original intention, she said.
“We are a single-family residential community and anything we can do to get ourselves closer and back to that is better,” she said.
Group homes are residential facilities that provide community-based care and support for small groups of people.
“They get their permit just like any other home would,” Weaver said.
The Paradise Valley council discussed the subject at its Sept. 11 study session.
The majority of the council was in agreement with reducing the maximum number of residents in group homes from 10 to six.
Staff is expected to bring an ordinance amendment back to the council for consideration, but a date has not yet been set.
“There are numerous municipalities that have already done this. We’re not going to be the first ones blazing this trail,” Councilmember Christine Labelle said. “It’s not something that should raise too many eyebrows, in my opinion.”
Senior News Editor Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on X @philiphaldiman. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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