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Hernando Today

Commission Approves Mental Health Treatment Facility

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: January 15, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Against pleas from worried residents and a petition with more than 200 signatures, the county commission on Wednesday approved a mental health and drug treatment facility on Grove Road.

After little discussion, the commission voted 3-1 in favor of a special use zoning permit request from Westbridge Community Services for a residential campus for up to 20 patients on 10 acres at the corner of Grove and Oakado Street.

Westbridge treats patients with "co-occurring disorders" - those suffering from both mental health disorders and drug or alcohol addictions.

Commissioners apparently agreed with Robert Morris, attorney for Westbridge, who told the board the decision should have been an easy one based on zoning over what he called the "not-in-my-backyard argument."

"This is a zoning issue," Morris said. "People don't have to like it."

The land has a zoning that allows residential and commercial uses. The county's planning staff recommended approval, and the zoning board voted 4-1 to grant the permit. That should have been the last approval necessary, but the commission agreed to rehear the issue at residents' urging.

A parade of residents voiced concerns Wednesday that Westbridge patients could present a risk to the neighborhood and students at nearby schools.

"All it takes is one thing to happen," said Amanda Goodell, an Oakado Street resident who presented a petition with some 260 signatures opposing the facility and choked up as she addressed the board. "Please don't take this risk and keep my children safe."

Frank DeAngelis, a retired sociology professor and narcotics detective whose grandchildren and great-grandchildren live in the area, repeated his prediction made at the last hearing on the issue that patients simply can't always be controlled, DeAngelis said.

"There will be problems" if the facility is built in that area, he said, citing Westbridge's own literature that includes a testimonial from a family whose son displayed "repeated violent behavior" and "stealing."

"Maybe the next time I come here I'll say something like I told you so," DeAngelis said.

George Gubitose, a board member of the Brookridge Homeowners Association, said many residents in that area also opposed the plan.

Mary Woods, chief executive officer for Westbridge, said that "a lot of what I've heard today is upsetting."

Westbridge patients are seeking treatment voluntarily, Woods said. The facility has a screening process and will not accept sex offenders, accused felons or others that have shown dangerous behavior.

"They are not criminals," Woods said, noting that a similar Westbridge facility is in a residential area.

The real threat, she said, is untreated mental illness. She noted DeAngelis didn't finish the quote from the family of the boy in the literature, who successfully finished treatment and is doing well.

Several others spoke in favor of the facility, including Bill and Judy Thompson, members of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Bill Thompson called Westbridge "first rate" and sorely needed in an area where there is a shortage of beds for patients. Judy Thompson said she was "amazed at the lack of knowledge and stigma I've heard today.

"The mentally ill are most often victims of a crime, not the perpetrators," she said.

The facility will feature a two-story residence hall, administration and storage buildings, as well as tennis courts and a pool. There will be a total of 40 employees working three shifts.

Conditions for the approval include a 50-foot buffer and six foot chain-link fence. The main entrance will be on Grove Road, with a gated emergency access point on Oakado Street.

Residents also cited concerns about flooding and traffic. The site is not in the flood plain but probably needs to be re-graded, said Alan Garman of Civil-Tech Engineering. A traffic study showed the number of peak hour trips is in the acceptable range.

Commissioner John Druzbick asked what kind of liability Westbridge faces if a patient does commit a crime. Treatment facilities have insurance to cover if they're found to be negligent in their care, Morris replied.

Chairman Dave Russell dissented in the vote.

He said after the meeting that Westbridge is "a reputable provider ... providing a necessary service, and I welcome them to our community."

But he said he shared some of the safety concerns of neighbors and would have preferred the facility be built "in a more isolated location."

"I would err on the side of the public on that one," he said.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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