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ZEBULON - This is a continuation of the original article below. Steve Hornsby, Senior Vice President of WestCare's Southeastern States Operation, and Michael Langford, State Director for Georgia for WestCare, contacted me today and answered some questions about this proposal on the Shri Ram Chandra Mission Property.
The WestCare application was denied unanimously by the Board of Appeals tonight. Scroll down to the end of the article to the section entitled, "WestCare Application Denied" for the reasons cited by the Board of Appeals.
[Note from the Editor: This application has been withdrawn as of February 9, 2016. Click here for more info.]
Addressing Security Concerns
They advised that State Director Langford and the Security Director met with a group of about 14 residents to address resident concerns about the proposal last week. The Chief of Security was present at that meeting to help answer some questions that residents had. Security was an item that residents asked about, and I did too. I was advised that there will be security on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will be staff that are awake while the residents are asleep and a security camera system will be utilized as well.
However, they went one step further and explained that their program is different from other programs because they "control their front door." Director Langford explained that security begins through the application and acceptance process with counselors who conduct extensive assessments to determine if applicants are appropriate for the program. He also explained that these youth are not coming from the Department of Juvenile Justice, this facility will not be part of a court ordered program, and that the program is completely voluntary with WestCare working with the youth, their families, and those who referred the youth to WestCare such as coaches, schools, ministers, etc.
VP Hornsby went one step even further than that. He said that it's important to understand that if youth involved in the program don't want to stay, we will make arrangements for them to leave so they can go home. This is a therapeutic program, and they need kids with good attitudes to be a part of the program. They both stressed that security is paramount and that they understand the community's concerns and want to work with the community.
This includes working with a Community Advisory Board on a monthly basis as they did in Stone Mountain when their facility went in there. This was a 52 bed facility. WestCare met with residents there on a monthly basis for about six months to give them updates and hear their concerns before community members said that the monthly meetings were no longer necessary. "We pride ourselves on being good citizens and good neighbors and working with and respecting the community that we are in," Langford said.
VP Hornsby emphasized that it's easy to make an assumption that these are juvenile delinquents or troubled kids but stressed that these kids are not. They are referred from a variety of sources and they have drug and alcohol treatment needs. He reiterated that residents will not be coming from the court system or the juvenile justice system, and that WestCare works very hard to ensure that youth who come into the program are a right fit for the program. They don't want kids there who are disruptive and have bad attitudes because the program is dependent on kids who have a good attitude.
Specifics for the Pike County Program
WestCare would like to have a 32 bed program for youth here. VP Hornsby said that WestCare would be fine with a limit on the number of kids in the program or that it be only for alcohol and drug treatment programs or youth ages 17 and under. He emphasized that WestCare is only looking to have one specific program here in Pike County for youth according to the contract that they have with the State of Georgia so they can meet the needs of youth and their families in the southern part of the state. They are contracted through the Department of Behavioral Health, Office of Addictive Disease.
WestCare serves about 40 youth per year in the Boggs program. There are about 16 beds there, and it is also a service based facility with the average being about a four month stay. Only youth who are from the State of Georgia would be allowed to come to this facility, and WestCare is willing to have space available for county youth who would like to be a part of the program.
WestCare is looking to hire locally depending on the skills of the local workforce. VP Hornsby said that they would rather have people working here who have a short commute as well as acting as ambassadors and help get the community involved. He said that we as people are afraid of the unknown, but he asked that people take the opportunity to get to know these kids and that if people do that, he doesn't think that people will be afraid of them anymore. "Our goal would be to involve the community and have as many people that are willing to participate and help these young people as possible because that is what makes the difference," he said. "It's the power of positive, loving, compassionate relationships is what changes lives."
WestCare Application Denied
I did not attend the Board of Appeals meeting tonight, but I will be attending the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night so I can also record the concerns of residents who live around this facility. I received a phone call and documents from WestCare last week and followed up with Director of Planning and Zoning, David Allen, who forwarded the notes on this facility that were presented to the Board of Appeals last month. Thank you to WestCare and Director Allen for answering my questions and providing the documentation that is contained in the article below.
I was advised by a member of the Board of Appeals that tonight's meeting was standing room only and lasted until just after 10 p.m. The Board of Appeals voted unanimously to deny the application.
Planning and Zoning Director David Allen advised me this morning on the day after the meeting that Board of Appeals members felt that it was a detriment to the community and potentially harmful to the health, safety, and welfare of residents who live around the proposed facility. He also said that it was noted that this facility would not a benefit to the county because the facility would have non-profit status and would not be paying taxes, and the county already has a similar facility. "It seemed like potential harm outweighed the benefits," said Director Allen.
ADDED FROM THE ARTICLE BELOW: Director Allen noted to the Board of Appeals that this request is similar to a proposed facility that went through the rezoning process in 2014. The application for a for-profit adult drug treatment facility was recommended for denial by both the Planning Commission and Planning and Zoning Staff. The application was withdrawn before commissioners could make a decision on it. Concerns raised at that time included: "safety to surrounding neighbors, the ability of the fire department to have adequate access and water to fight a fire at the facility, and the issue of “spot zoning” for the property, being surrounded by A-R zoned residential properties." Click here to read about it. WestCare is different because it is for adolescent males and it is a non-profit which means that it will seek an exemption from property taxes.
There will be a Public Hearing before the Board of Commissioners on January 26, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex located at 79 Jackson Street in Zebulon. There will also be a period of six months between the January 26, 2016 Public Hearing and the Board of Commissioners’ final zoning decision on the property to satisfy the Georgia Zoning Procedures Law in OCGA Title 36, Chapter 66.
ZEBULON - The Pike County Board of Appeals will be holding its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow, January 21, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex located at 79 Jackson Street in Zebulon. On the agenda is the Shri Ram Chandra Mission property owner and WestCare Georgia, Inc. asking for a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for male youths ages 14 to 17.
This property is located at 5611 Georgia Highway 109 West and consists of 32.5 acres. This was tabled from the December 17, 2015 Board of Appeals meeting due to some confusion with the zoning sign that was on the property.
There will be a Public Hearing before the Board of Commissioners on this same topic on January 26, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex at the address listed above. There will be a period of six months between the January 26, 2016 Public Hearing and the Board of Commissioners’ final zoning decision on the property to satisfy the Georgia Zoning Procedures Law in OCGA Title 36, Chapter 66.
WestCare’s Proposal
WestCare Foundation is a national non-profit organization with over 42 years of “providing health and human services for adults, children adolescents, and families.” The Statement of Facts provided to Pike County Times also states that WestCare “specializes in helping children, adolescents, and adults with addiction and associated health problems.” It is located in 17 states and 2 U.S. territories and began offering program services in the state of Georgia in 2003. [Note from the Editor: This has been corrected to 2003 from 1973.]
The documentation states that evidence/research based practice with quality results is the type of treatment service that is provided with the primary service for the proposed Pike County facility being for adolescent boys ages 14 to 17 years of age. WestCare is accredited and obtains its support from federal, state, and local government grants as well as private insurance, contracts, private individuals, corporations, and foundations.
The youth entering this facility would be a mix of local and non-local with “private referrals from parents, other family members, churches, ministers, friends, private and personal sources, Georgia Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “The children are seeking help, non violent children and not placed by a Judge against their will” and will not be from the justice system or juvenile justice system. WestCare pledges that the youth will be Georgia residents who can referred by “parents, school counselors, drug court and other community partners” and that “non-violent students will be carefully screened and assessed by professional staff prior to being admitted to the program.”
There will be an initial group of 20 youth with a maximum capacity of 32 youth with the opportunity for 20 to 26 jobs. Information about supervision declares that students will be supervised or monitored 24 hours a day with staff, video cameras and monitors on site. The youth will be in class from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. each day and earn education credits through a Virtual School on campus which will be coordinated by a Georgia Certified Teacher. These credits will transfer back to the youth’s local school. There will be supervised afternoon recreation and Life Skill Group sessions in the evenings. There will be supervised local and regional sports activities and educational learning activities as well.
Professional staff will include a” Program Director, Clinical Director, Counselors, Case Managers, Teacher, Recreational Therapist, and other Direct Care Staff.” WestCare sums it the program by saying that “credentialed staff will provide treatment services and include multiple groups focusing on building community life skills, pathways to change, addiction education, conflict management, mediation, etc. Recreational Therapy is provided daily and includes a variety of activities; cooking, sports, farming, book club, poetry club, puzzles, chess, art, and music.”
WestCare answers the question of why it would choose Pike County by saying, “The property is IDEAL for children treatment and outcome." They also note that it is secluded but accessible to metro activities like ballgames and other athletic activities as well as regular charitable endeavors.
WestCare also provided several letters of support for the program from Augusta and Keysville, Georgia including the Mayor of Keysville, the Director of Dance at Brown Grove Baptist Church in Keysville, the Chairman of hte Project Alpha project in Keysville that mentors young males ages 12 to 15, and a phychiatric consultant for WestCare since 2004.
Planning and Zoning's Review
Planning and Zoning Director David Allen will present this special exception to the Board of Appeals for their consideration tomorrow. This information is from the presentation that he will be making tomorrow. It is open records information and probably much of the same information will be presented to the Commissioners next week along with the recommendation from the Board of Appeals.
Director Allen notes that this request is similar to a proposed facility that went through the rezoning process in 2014. The application for a for-profit adult drug treatment facility was recommended for denial by both the Planning Commission and Planning and Zoning Staff. The application was withdrawn before commissioners could make a decision on it. Concerns raised at that time included: "safety to surrounding neighbors, the ability of the fire department to have adequate access and water to fight a fire at the facility, and the issue of “spot zoning” for the property, being surrounded by A-R zoned residential properties." Click here to read about it. WestCare is different because it is for adolescent males and it is a non-profit which means that it will seek an exemption from property taxes.
There is already a facility similar to the one proposed by WestCare on Highway 19 South on the mountain, just 5.2 miles away from this location. Teen Challenge has provided treatment and training for adolescent males on a tax exempt property since 2009. Director Allen will note that WestCare has advised that local youth and local job applicants will be given opportunity to be a part of this center though exact percentages of local versus non-local were not spelled out.
Staff analysis is laid out in accordance to Pike County's Zoning Code so Board of Appeals members can be sure that they abide by the rules that are currently in place for special exemptions. Director Allen notes that the Future Land Use maps shows areas for agricultural and low to medium density residential uses around the subject property though no institutional areas shown; however, permitted uses in this A-R zoning include hospitals and a college or university if the applicants receive an approved special exception and meet certain development standards that are listed on P-I zoning.
Regulations stipulate that the use "must not be detrimental to the use or development of adjacent properties or to the general neighborhood, and it must not adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of the residents or workers." Director Allen notes that the parcel is 32.5 acres with dense woods to screen it from surrounding properties; however, the same safety concerns from residents are being voiced on this application as well with residents being "worried about drug addicted clients leaving the facility and possibly causing harm to persons and property." There is a petition from nearby residents against this special exemption.
The application is not expected to constitute a nuisance or hazard because of the number of people attending or using the facility including movement of vehicles or noise and fumes from any type of physical activity, but residents have expressed concern about youth at the facility possibly being a hazard if they escaped. WestCare has not provided a security plan at this time. There was a concern at the last proposal of the property over whether or not the Fire Department could provide the proper amount of water to fight a fire at the facility because of the steep drive. Director Allen will note that Teen Challenge also has a steep driveway and therefore limited access to water as well. The lot size is efficient to satisfy current regulations and all permitted buildings meet building setbacks, and the property applicant and the property is not in violation of County Codes.
Director Allen notes the authority exists for the Board of Appeals to grant the special exemption because this is a special exception and not a rezoning and a special exception is treated differently than the objection to "spot zoning" (approving a P-I in the middle of an A-R zoned area) that was presented for the rezoning application of 2014. "However, if approved, the physical reality of the proposed facility will be very similar to that of the proposed facility at the previous rezoning hearing – a center involved in the treating of substance abuse, something that nearby residents have objected to."
He also notes that there are other factors to consider besides changes to the shading on the Zoning Map. Some nearby residents feel that this facility would encroach on their personal safety as well as affecting their property values and their quality of life. He also notes that the property will remain off of the tax roll and that even though there is a precedent for allowing a facility like this, Appeals Board members may want to consider how many of this type of facility is desirable in the county because Teen Challenge is just 5.2 miles away from this proposed facility.
Closing
The Pike County Board of Appeals will hear this application for special exemption at its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow, January 21, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex located at 79 Jackson Street in Zebulon. There will also be a Public Hearing before the Board of Commissioners on this same topic on January 26, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex at the address listed above.
There will be a period of six months between the January 26, 2016 Public Hearing and the Board of Commissioners’ final zoning decision on the property to satisfy the Georgia Zoning Procedures Law in OCGA Title 36, Chapter 66.
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