Letters to the Editor
Palm Beach Post
Just read the article about the pending Greenacres sober home. I am not affected by this decision. I like to think of myself as a common-sense individual and with an advanced college degree who can think on my own two feet. Who in their right mind would ever consider this type of business proper for a residential community? It makes no difference if it’s a sober, drug, senior assistance, child care, etc. home; it’s a business.
None of these businesses belong in a residential community. There is a reason residential communities were zoned as such, and that zoning should be respected and followed. Zoning laws need to be tweaked to prevent this situation and to protect private residences from sharing the neighborhood with private business. There are so many abandoned businesses, especially in Greenacres, on Lake Worth Road. Look to these type of properties as a win-win solution for all.
The other issue I have, as a retired fire chief, is that these types of occupancies, with larger groups, should require commercial or residential fire sprinkler systems that are generally provided in commercial buildings and would require extensive modification in a residential structure. An effective means of escape or rescue is tougher when large groups must be moved in the generally narrower confines of a house.
Private businesses should be treated like all other businesses and kept out of a residential neighborhood.
BOB ROWAN, LAKE WORTH
2 comments:
Bob may have given the answer. Simply ban all businesses from being operated in a residential zone.
It is probably the ONLY way to keep these sober houses and vacation rentals from proliferating in our city.
Agree. of course the City could enforce its short term rental laws and that would make running a sober house more difficult since most sober house residents only stay for 28 days or less.
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