GORHAM – Surfacing last week, several emails among Gorham officials indicate that the town likely will consider regulating group homes following an arson that extensively damaged one last month.

The Gorham Town Council has not publicly talked about regulating group homes and the matter has not been an agenda item. The emails concerning group homes were among a stack Town Councilor Matt Robinson released last week.

Following an investigation of a group home fire last month on Green Street, Gorham police arrested and charged a resident of the group home with arson. The group home incident fostered email chatter among town officials.

Gorham has eight, now-unregulated group homes, but the homes can’t be banned from town, according to an official citing state law.

Town Councilor Michael Phinney, seeking information on Aug. 18, sent an email to Town Manager David Cole, other councilors and three Gorham public safety officials.

“The fire last night at a group home on Green Street got me thinking about group homes in Gorham. I was interested in finding out how many group homes were located in town, how the town monitors them, and how the town regulates them,” Phinney wrote.

The query drew several responses. David Galbraith, Gorham zoning administrator, wrote to Phinney with copies to other officials: “This is actually very timely as we discussed this issue at our Wednesday Project Review Group meeting. At that meeting, we decided that we should recommend some form of administrative review and annual inspection (at minimum) as we currently don’t have any regulations.”

But, the Town Council seems poised to consider regulating the group homes in town.

Galbraith also wrote that he had discussed group homes with Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre and Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Fickett. Galbraith said the fire department has regular calls to these facilities and that the town has about eight group homes.

“The state, from a land use perspective, requires us to treat them as a single family house and as such they can’t be prohibited,” Galbraith wrote.

But Lefebvre wrote on Aug. 18 that the town could “enforce fire and code issues as group homes.”

“All of these should require some kind of permit, reviewed once a year which should be tied to an inspection,” Lefebvre wrote.

Town Councilor Matt Mattingly had questions. He asked, “What type of group home are we talking about – a halfway house? A senior home? A transitional home? A runaway shelter? There are so many kinds of ‘group’ homes that unless we know what we are talking about, we might just end up spinning in circles.”

“The few I knew about were housing teens with social issues and some adults that have trouble living alone because of minor mental issues,” Town Councilor Suzanne Phillips wrote. “But there are other kinds, so I would like to know what types of group homes we are talking about.”

Philip Gagnon, council vice chairman, asked for a definition of a group home and whether a home for women seeking shelter from abuse would be exempt from regulations.

Phinney wrote that Gagnon had a good point and it would have to be discussed.

“Of course, you could turn it around and say, wouldn’t it be important for the Police Department to know where there is a home that houses a number of women who are at risk of abuse from their spouses or others? Or a home of children or young adults with self destructive tendencies.”

“That stuff is one piece of the pie, the other is the town’s responsibility to make sure the houses are kept safe, clean, and are well run,” Phinney added.

Town Councilor John Pressey raised a concern. Pressey believed a man he met at the scene of the Green Street fire was a resident of the group home and had been drinking.

“I could strongly smell what I think was beer on his breath. If it is a supervised group home, there would seem to be an issue there,” Pressey wrote.

Lefebvre said that neither the fire or police departments had been aware of the Green Street group home.

“This is the case with almost every one of them, we find out about them when they have a fire, rescue or police issue,” Lefebvre wrote.

“State law allows these homes to be almost anywhere in town. Regardless of whom the tenants are, the emergency service people in town, at a minimum, should be aware where these homes are and be prepared to offer extra assistance, if problems arise,” Phinney wrote.

“In the end, I’m not sure what the town can do, but I do think it will be an important discussion to have,” Phinney wrote.