The Maryland community is outraged at the drug rehabilitation structure proposal near school
Residents in a small community in Montgomery County, Maryland, They are in arms for a drug rehabilitation group proposed under construction in a residential neighborhood near an elementary school.
During a community meeting on Monday evening, the Brookeville families grilled to the members of the Council on Zonization issues and on the safety risks of the facility proposed headquarters, which will share a line of ownership with the Greenwood Elementary School.
The residents said they were blinded by the news and did not have a say. They worried about potential safety problems for students due to the proximity of the structure.
“Taking a possibility with our population younger and more vulnerable in the residential district like this is a real risk and this is not a risk that anyone in this public wants to hire,” said a resident of the Council Dawn LuedTke, who represents the district.
Maryland families told the County leaders to have safety problems on a proposal drug rehabilitation structure near an elementary school. (Fox News Digital/Istock via Getty Images)
A mother named Kim, who lives near Greenwood, faced LuedTke and asked her to promise her children would be safe on foot at school.
“I want you to look at him,” he said, indicating his son. “What can you tell me with a straight face: can you look at me in the eyes and ensure my safety? Can you go to sleep at night and feel good with that?”
According to reports, two properties in the Brookeville district have recently been purchased by a single owner with the aim of converting them into a drug rehabilitation structure, known as “The Freedom Center”.
Residents that oppose the position of the structure have started a petitionwhich has accumulated over 1,400 signatures, to solicit the county to stop its opening.
“We are not opposed to drug rehabilitation and alcohol rehabilitation structures or the nature of their care. In fact, we hope this problem brings attention and resources to addiction aid. The concern is the location of this structure,” says the petition.
According to reports, the proposed structure would have shared a property line with a local elementary school. (Istock)
Geno, a resident of Brookeville who has three children who attend Greenwood, Fox News Digital That the community wants the Council of County to take into consideration the sponsorship of their proposed zoning amendments, which would create distance from structures such as this under construction next to schools.
He believes that the owner of the properties has found a “escapade” in the laws on the zoning of county in order to convert two properties, each who holds eight patients at a time, to “physically and functionally operate as a single structure”.
The community has proposed amendments to the text of zoning stating that group houses must be at least half a mile from schools, kindergartens or public games parks or that the properties used as a group houses must be separated from each other of a minimum of 1,000 feet.
“This is a kind of softball for county,” said Geno. “They are only afraid of being what makes decisions about their code. This has never been the original intent. But they are afraid to make a decision and we need it.”
“I think that anyone who sees this situation, you have four asylum recesses that play on a grass field, separated by two rehabilitation centers from extreme drugs by a chain fence ranging from forty meters and then opens up to a path to walk in the school. This is scandalous.”
Greenwood elementary map with proposal drug rehabilitation structure (Google Earth by Abby Grophic)
The Freedom Center website says it is a level 3.5 treatment center. This level of treatment provides “high intensity programs for adults who cannot be treated outside a 24/7 structure due to serious physical or psychological problems or serious problems of impulses control or because they show dangerous symptoms that require 24 -hour monitoring”, second American dependence centers.
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The Freedom Center and Luedtke did not respond to a commentary request.
Luedtke customs Fox5 DC At the beginning of this month, “I am aware of the concerns of the community and our office is responding to the investigations on the division into areas and the authorization process for a private entity such as the one that pursues this project. The safety of students and educators is of fundamental importance for me,” he said.
