Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jan 2007
Source: Santa Maria Times (CA)
Copyright: 2007 Lee Central Coast Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.santamariatimes.com/contact/letter/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/396
Author: Neil Nisperos, Staff writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

LOMPOC COUNCIL HEARS HOURS OF DETOX SITE INPUT

Members of the Lompoc City Council Tuesday night heard both opponents 
and proponents of a plan to place a drug detox center in the 600 
block of West Ocean Avenue, but because of the high volume of input 
from the public, no decision on the project had been made as of 
presstime Tuesday night.

At 10:30 p.m., at least 10 more people were waiting to address the 
council, and it was not clear that the councilmembers would even vote 
Tuesday night.

The crowd packed the council chambers, and had spilled over into the 
lobby of City Hall.

The center, proposed by Good Samaritan Shelter Inc. of Santa Maria, 
would provide perinatal services to 16 women in recovery, and include 
a separate co-ed detox building with six beds. The program would be 
residential, and the residents would be monitored around the clock 
for substance abuse of any kind, including regular drug testing.

Opponents say they are simply against the proposed location, and not 
the existence of a treatment center in Lompoc. They said the new 
project would decrease property values in the vicinity of 608 West 
Ocean Avenue, where an old flower shop would be refurbished into the 
detox center. Opponents fear a detox center, and a possible decrease 
in surrounding property values, would hinder a major effort to 
renovate and revitalize businesses in the downtown area.

Supporters of the plan have cited research showing that treatment 
centers are good neighbors, and follow regulations to the line.

Lompoc resident Alice Milligan, a lead opponent, opened her Tuesday 
statements by calling on Mayor Dick DeWees to step down from voting 
on the center. She said that DeWees, as a member of the Lompoc 
Recovery Task Force, was involved in selecting the 608 West Ocean 
location, currently home to the Avenue Flower Shop.

DeWees replied that he was not involved in the search for the 
location, and City Attorney Sharon Stuart stated that no impropriety 
existed with DeWees joining three other council members to vote as 
part of council on the issue. Council woman Ann Ruhge, who approved 
the project in November as a member of the planning commission, 
recused herself from the vote.

In addition, center opponents said, the new center would increase 
traffic to the area, wouldn't be appropriate in an area near Lompoc 
Valley Middle School and would put an added impact on already 
strained public safety agencies in Lompoc.

Opponents also cited the amount of public safety calls from the Good 
Samaritan Center in Santa Maria last year at the city council meeting.

Good Samaritan Executive Director Sylvia Barnard responded to 
concerns over property values by presenting how existing detox 
centers in Santa Maria have failed to decrease property values in the 
areas of that city. She also responded to concerns from neighborhood 
residents near the proposed Lompoc location.

"Will we be good neighbors?" she said before citing a quote from the 
Institute for Public Health Strategies. "Those who live next to 
existing treatment programs consistently say program residents are 
great neighbors to have. It's only logical because those residents 
are the only people on the block who by regulation have to be good neighbors." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake