1-Color
February 12, 2014
75 cents Teller County, Colorado | Volume 53, Issue 7 A publication of
pikespeakcourier.net
Residential drug treatment facility draws fire Neighbors don’t want it in their back yards By Norma Engelberg Contributing writer
For Dr. Judith Miller, a large home on Trull Road in Woodland Park is the perfect site for a residence home-care facility to treat women addicted to prescription drugs. For most of the neighbors, however, opening that home to treat addicts, no matter how wellbehaved they might be, is a nightmare. On Feb. 6, Miller’s request to Woodland Park City Council for a conditional use permit to turn the fairly isolated, 4,458-square-foot home into “Courage to Change,” a treatment facility for “professional, career-oriented women” addicted to prescription drugs packed council chambers with neighbors worried about their property values and safety. City Planner Lisa Parnell went through the criteria city planners use to determine that a conditional use permit can be issued. She said Miller’s request complies with all criteria. To approve the permit, council would also have to approve the number of residents — no more than eight at a time-and the care program that would be used. Miller said her “neural recovery” program is state licensed and she would be the full-time resident on site as required by city code and there would be about six therapists working in rotation during the day. Residents would not have their own vehicles and, while they could leave the facility to hike local trails, eat at local restaurants and attend local meetings, they will always be escorted. All treatment would be in-patient care and there would be no signage.
“I have been looking for the perfect site in Woodland Park for five years,” she said. “This property is that perfect site.” During public hearing, a few people spoke in support of the permit. These included a former client of Miller’s facility in Colorado Springs, a therapist who would work with patients and Kathy and Rick Hobbs, the property’s current owners. Kathy Hobbs said it’s natural for people to be concerned about change. “We looked at this program and we believe it will help people,” she said. “This will just be a quiet home tucked away in the woods. If we sell it to someone else you don’t know what kind of neighbors you’ll get. If these women have the courage to change, we should have the courage to help them.” The rest of the speakers opposed the plan. The first to speak was Tom Buchmeier, whose property is 350 feet from the Hobbs’ property. He said his opposition isn’t about whether this is a good program or whether people need help: “It’s about dropping a drugtreatment facility into a residential area.” “There are no facts supporting the need for a drug-treatment facility in our own residential area or even in Woodland Park,” he said. “Just because the governor says there is a problem doesn’t mean we need this here.” Another speaker was Brad Harvey, who owns a townhome in nearby Elk Grove. “I don’t have a good feeling about having a drug rehab facility in my back yard,” he said. “If I had children, there’s no way I would have bought this property knowing that a drug-treatment facility would be located next door.” Mark Murphy, who is developing the Elk Grove property and manages the Elk Grove Homeowners Association, pointed out that 75 percent of the Hobbs’
This 4,558-square-foot home on Trull Road in Woodland Park is at the center of a storm over the owners’ plans to sell it to Dr. Judith Miller who wants to use it for a residential care home for professional women addicted to prescription drugs. Woodland Park City Council tabled the case to the Feb. 20 meeting to give the city attorney time to present a legal opinion. Photo by Norma Engelberg
neighbors oppose the project and that if it is approved he will think twice about constructing the site’s remaining 22 units. In rebuttal, Miller said 90 percent of residence care facilities in the United States are located in residential areas and that her facilities in Colorado Springs and Simla have never had any problems. “Your children are safe,” she said. “Most of these clients have children of their own that they want to get back to.” While several councilmembers said their job is to protect property values and honor the wishes of the neighbors, Bob Carlsen asked about the legalities involved.
“If we don’t approve this, are we discriminating against the disabled?” he asked. “Is there an issue with the use if they meet the criteria?” City Attorney Erin Smith said council should be informed about the legal issues, but that she was not prepared to speak to those issues at that time. “Colorado has passed legislation on this issue,” she said. “Communities can’t prohibit residential homes for the treatment of developmental or mental illnesses.” She said that state law says residential care facilities are “residential uses” and Mayor Pro Tem
Eric Smith said according to the city codes, such care facilities can only be located in residential zones. “I don’t think there is a place in Woodland Park that wouldn’t have the same issues,” he said. “You can say there could be a better place but is there? The council reluctantly decided to table the issue until the Feb. 20 meeting when Erin Smith can return with a legal opinion. “We’re not bringing monsters into your community,” Miller said. “I wish you could have answered yes tonight but I would rather table this so you can vote yes some other night.”
Raise the wage, says Shaw By Pat Hill
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phill@ coloradocommunitymedia.com
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It’s Pastor Dave Shaw, Church in the Wildwood in Green Mountain Falls, who is taking his campaign to the highway Feb. 6. With so many minimum-wage workers receiving extra help from either the government, churches or other nonprofits, Shaw says it’s time to take a look at the11:15 minimum 2/3/14 AMwage. PagePhoto 1 by Pat Hill
Braving frigid temperatures last week, the Rev. Dave Shaw, pastor of Church in the Wildwood in Green Mountain Falls, is taking his campaign to raise the minimum wage to the streets of Woodland Park. “We’re talking about large corporations, not small businesses,” Shaw said, standing on the corner of U.S. 24 and Paradise Circle Feb. 6. “It’s not right that corporations subsidize their income by placing a tariff on the rest of society by not paying their employees a living wage,” Shaw said. Employees of many large corporations are forced to seek
health-care benefits from the federal government, as well as food stamps through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, Shaw said. As a result, taxpayers, in essence, are contributing to the bottom line of corporations. “When Wal-Mart makes billions a year in profit but their employees seek assistance from the government or nonprofits like the one I work for, it’s great for lowering prices but it creates a need,” Shaw said. Wal-Mart’s low prices are not the true cost of goods for the consumer, Shaw said. “I sincerely hope that particularly large corporations do right by their employees,” he said. “If they won’t do it, government needs to tell them to!”
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