Group home told to move because of sex offenders

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield house serving as a group home has been given 30 days to move or disband because of the number of sex offenders it serves.

The city's director of building development services says the house is more of a community corrections facility than a group home and it can operate only in an area zoned for heavy manufacturing.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that neighbors have expressed concerns about the home, operated by Recovery Chapel, and questioned whether it should be allowed in a residential neighborhood.

The Rev. Farris Robertson runs the home and said he intends to appeal the decision and fight it in federal court, if necessary.

Greene County Sheriff's Office records indicate as many as eight registered sex offenders had lived there at one time.

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com