Interesting article in the Northwest Herald today. It seems that somebody has proposed polluting the pristine woodlands and rolling hills of Bull Valley with a “Rehab Center.” According to the article:
“Representatives from La Voie Inc. appeared in front of the Bull Valley zoning board Monday night for a public hearing on a special permit for a group home for adolescent and adult males recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.”
Now, I used the term “polluting” facetiously. The local residents, on the other hand, would not:
“Residents voiced concerns about declining property values, noise and traffic that would come with the business, Keinz said.
Todd Scheel, who lives next door, said the effect on property values is a main concern, but it’s not the only thing he’s worried about. The house, he said, could be detrimental to the neighborhood’s safety.
“You will do stupid things to get drugs, to get money,” Scheel said.”
While I can appreciate the local Bull Valley resident’s concerns about having people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in their neighborhood, I can’t help but wonder if those concerns are remotely valid. There certainly have been people who have done dumb things for drug money. My experience is that the overwhelming majority of people stealing for drug money are stealing from people they already know, though. Plus, what’s with the assumption that there aren’t a bunch of people living in Bull Valley who aren’t already suffering from addiction of alcohol or drugs. Are they out thieving?
So, to that end, I’d agree with the people proposing the rehab center:
“Kyle Oremus, president of La Voie Inc., said that perception was part of an unfortunate stigma that surrounds addiction.
“The fact of the matter is this disease affects everyone from all walks of life, no matter what your socioeconomic status is,” she said.”
That’s not to say I don’t understand the concern. Would I want a drug rehab center to open right next to my house? It wouldn’t be tops on my list of desired neighbors. On the other hand, I just attacked google to see where the nearest rehab center is to my house. Turns out there’s one offering fairly intensive treatment right in town, less than a mile away. It’s not even in the middle of “25 acres currently zoned as agricultural.”
I’m not sure how long it’s been there- which is a pretty good sign that, whenever it showed up, it didn’t change things much.
