The Hartselle Planning Commission has given its approval of a new city zoning ordinance that will allow five people to live in a group home on Mason Drive.

On Tuesday morning, the commission approved a resolution to the City Council to grant approval to the new regulations.

If approved by the council, the new definition of a family will be “an individual; or two (2) or more persons all related by blood, marriage or legal adoption, maintaining a common household in a dwelling unit; or a group of not more than five (5) persons who are not all related by blood, marriage or legal adoption, living together as a common household in a dwelling unit.”

City Attorney Larry Madison told the commission that he believed this proposed ordinance as written should prevent the city from litigation from the Volunteers of America. The organization sent a letter last month threatening to sue if the city didn’t make adequate accommodations for the group home.

“I don’t think we can defend the position of four unrelated persons, but I believe we can stand by a five-person limit,” Madison said. “When you get more than five people living in a single-family home, you’ll have to make some accommodations to the residence whether it’s they’re related or not.”