Culver City : Disabled Group Home OKd

The Redevelopment Agency has voted to give the Westside Opportunity Workshop money to buy a group home for the developmentally disabled.

The agency on Monday granted up to $397,500 to the group to acquire a four-bedroom home in the 10900 block of Barman Avenue. Six developmentally disabled adults and a house parent are to live in the home, which would be operated by the group.

The group is not yet licensed to operate the home because state regulations require that it must own the property to receive a license. The agency stipulated that the property must operate as a group home within one year of escrow closing. If WOW or any other organization is unable to open the home for low-income residents, ownership of the property will revert back to the agency.

Another conditions of the approval is that the home and the property must be available for low- or middle-income residents for at least 40 years.

The group also must notify the neighborhood of its intended use for the house, the agency said.