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4 <br /> With a Special Use Permit, the decision has already <br /> been made that the zoning is appropriate for the use. <br /> Approval of a Special Use Permit is a quasi-judicial <br /> action by the Commissioners based on submitted <br /> evidence and testimony. An application is reviewed <br /> based on the Standards of Evaluation contained in the <br /> Zoning Ordinance. Consequently, appropriate <br /> conditions are attached to the permit. <br /> A planned development allows a slightly larger floor <br /> area, ten percent (10%) of the lot area, as opposed to <br /> a Class A Special Use Permit, which allows a maximum <br /> floor area equal to 8.8 percent of the lot size. <br /> DEFINITION OF NURSING HOME <br /> The definition of nursing home proposed at the May <br /> public hearing was modeled after the definition found <br /> in the NC General Statutes 131E-101 (6) (see attached <br /> copy) . Staff contacted the NC Department of Human <br /> Resources, Division of Facility Services, to get <br /> clarification on terms such as "skilled nursing <br /> facility" and "intermediate care facility. " The DFS <br /> Staff indicated that those terms were used prior to <br /> 1987 . Following amendments to NCGS 131E, "skilled <br /> nursing" and "intermediate care" have been used to <br /> describe types of beds within a nursing home or <br /> nursing facility. <br /> ACCESS AND SPACING BETWEEN FACILITIES <br /> Commissioner Gordon recommended that a nursing home <br /> should have direct access to a State-maintained <br /> road, not a Class A private road. She also suggested <br /> adding language similar to the existing standards for <br /> Group Care Facility stating that the proposed nursing <br /> home shall not be within 500 feet of a similar <br /> facility. In response, the Planning Staff has deleted <br /> language from 8.8. 28.2d regarding access and added a <br /> ninth Standard of Evaluation to require spacing <br /> between care facilities. <br /> SIMILAR FACILITIES <br /> Another issue which emerged during the discussion of <br /> nursing homes is how to permit similar uses where <br /> patients would temporarily live on site and may <br /> require some medical supervision. This type of use may <br /> include facilities for the treatment of eating <br /> disorders, stress, or anxiety disorders (phobias and <br /> obsessions) , and perhaps certain special counseling <br /> centers. <br /> Treatment facilities such as those listed are more <br />