BY ANDREAS YILMA
CITIZENS NEWS
NAUGATUCK – A proposal for a residential treatment facility in the center of downtown has received partial approval as the Zoning Commission looks to make the final decision this month.
The Zoning Commission on June 19 approved a text change request to add a residential treatment facility in a B-1 Zone and to revise parking spaces to have 1.5 spaces per three beds for patients and add five additional spaces for certain types of uses including hospitals, convalescent homes and residential treatment centers.
The commission kept a hearing open for the special permit application for a proposed residential treatment facility and looks to make a decision at its next meeting July 17 after an extension was granted.
The owner of 58 Maple St., Heritage Downtown, wants to open a 46-bed voluntary co-ed detox facility in the building adjacent to Trinity Health’s urgent care center and MyEyeDr. The new facility is expected to have 60-80 employees. The two-story building was built in 2016, with about 16,000 square-feet of the structure vacant.
The facility would provide patients with dignified accommodations, including a barbershop, cafeteria and gaming area. It would be a secured facility where staffers have eyes on patients at all times. The typical stay would be about two to three weeks.
Attorney Michael McVerry represents about 37 nearby local property and business owners, who oppose the location.
Haven Health Management, which would operate the facility, has about 20 similar facilities in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Florida and other states.
Attorney John Knuff, who represents the applicant, said the police, fire and inland wetlands commission approved the application however the planning commission voted to give a negative referral on the regulation amendments and chose not to vote on the special permit application.
“It’s entirely consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development and if I were Attorney McVerry’s clients, particularly a lot of the restaurants who had signed on, I would be welcoming us with open arms knowing that there was 60 people who are now potential new customers coming to this area every day,” Knuff said.
Attorney Carlos Santos, who is The Station Restaurant owner and Vice Chairman of both the Economic Development Corporation and Naugatuck Valley Regional Development Corporation, said NEDC provided this commission with a unanimous resolution indicating their opposition to this application.
“That board has been working on downtown development for years. We have put in not hundreds but thousands of volunteer hours to secure a plan of development and I have had personal discussions with most if not all these owners and we all feel the same way,” Santos said. “We feel that this type of service is necessary just not in the heart of the downtown.”
Santos said the proposal could be the first nail in the coffin in downtown development.
“A detox facility, often short-term treatment, simply is not consistent with our plan to provide a vibrant downtown where people live, where people walk, where people dine, where people gather because they’re comfortable. They’re in an inviting environment,” Santos said. “This type of service is not only not consistent with that type of use but it’s going to deter other businesses from coming to town. It’s going to deter other residents from coming into town. It’s just simply not consistent with our plan.”
Chester Cornacchia, who is also a NEDC member, said borough officials created the Plan of Conservation and Development document as a guide to create harmony and balance in the community.
“It’s inconsistent with bringing vibrancy to the downtown,” Cornacchia said. “This particular facility could be in any square footage, quite frankly, not in the center of the downtown and the gateway pieces to our community. That’s what we’re concerned about. How we project the image to the community, how will that affect subsequent development in the community because all the experts we spoken to for the last 25 years have all told us that, successful communities always make sure their gateways are consistent with their themes for the downtown and ultimately provide live, work, play, cultural enrichment, entertainment. This goes against that.”
Robert Oris, one of the principals of 58 Maple St., said all they’re trying to do is provide necessary medial services and the opposition boils down to “not in my backyard.”
“These are our loved ones, our family members, our friends. We’ve all been hit with somebody who’s dealt with substance abuse,” Oris said. “Why should they be treated any differently than someone who needs a stent or someone who’s dealing with cancer or anything else?”
The Zoning Commission also approved refer the special permit application to be submitted back to the planning commission.
