Plans for recovery center hit a snag

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September 3, 2010

City asks organizers to hold off on moving into Pollard neighborhood; zoning ordinances to be examined

KATIE BRANDENBURG The Independent The Daily Independent Fri Sep 03, 2010, 12:20 AM EDT

ASHLAND — A planned addiction recovery center has been asked to put plans on hold because of confusion over city zoning ordinances.

A letter was sent to center organizers Thursday asking them not to occupy a planned location because of possible zoning violations involved in establishing the center in a residential neighborhood in the Pollard area.

Steven Brewer, who lives in the Pollard area, presented the Ashland Board of Commissioners with a petition with about 124 signatures asking the city to deny any future permits and rescind current permits allowing Life’s Second Chance recovery center to move into the neighborhood.

The center would be on Sanders Road, he said.

City Manager Steve Corbitt said the city hasn’t issued a permit for the center.

He said he sent a letter Thursday to the center’s founders asking them not to occupy the structure until they meet with the city officials.

The goal of the meetings will be to figure out what the intention of the center is and if it is allowed under current city ordinances, he said.

“I question that it can be there without conditional approval,” Corbitt said.

Commissioner Larry Brown said he found out about the recovery center coming into the area on Wednesday.

He said the organizers have called the center a boarding house, which city codes allow in the Pollard neighborhood.

But city ordinances don’t allow a drug rehabilitation center to be set up in a residential neighborhood, Brown said.

“We need to find out more about what their facility is all about,” Brown said.

Rob Donta, one of the founders of Life’s Second Chance recovery center, declined to comment until after he had heard from city officials.

Life’s Second Chance would initially cater to up to 16 who have already completed a 10- to 14-day detox. It would have a 24-hour staff and strict curfews.

Brewer said the center would undermine the security and peace of mind of those in the neighborhood. He was accompanied by several rows of people who live in the Pollard area.

“Nobody has a problem with a drug recovery center,” Brewer said. “We all have been affected by drugs. It is a bad situation, but a drug recovery center in a residential neighborhood is bad business.”

He said the people establishing the center are using the term boarding house as a loop hole to be able to use a residential location.

“If we hadn’t been vigilant we would have not known about this and we would have woke up with a drug rehab centers in our back yards, and we don’t feel the city of Ashland conducts business this way,” Brewer said. “We feel like this was slipped in on the city of Ashland, too.”

Lea Ann Armstrong, who lives two houses down from where the center is being set up, said she objected to the center being fewer than 200 yards from a day care center.

Cori Jones, who also lives in Pollard, said the center would have a negative effect on the neighborhood.

“It’ll go straight down the drain,” Jones said.

Both women said they were satisfied with the city’s response to their objections.

KATIE BRANDENBURG can be reached at kbrandenburg@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

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City asks organizers to hold off on moving into Pollard neighborhood; zoning ordinances to be examined

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