Harmony Haven LLC Co-Investor and Holistic Sober Center Executive Director Kristina Simpson (center) attends a public hearing the evening of Wednesday, April 10 to discuss her plan to convert the building that previously housed Country Manor Nursing Home in Coopers Mills to a residential substance abuse treatment center. (Piper Pavelich photo)
Over 40 people attended a public hearing at the central fire station in Whitefield the evening of Wednesday, April 10 armed with questions and concerns about a residential substance abuse treatment facility that is trying to make its mark in Coopers Mills.
The facility first came onto residents’ radars in April 2023, when Harmony Haven LLC co-investor and Holistic Sober Center Executive Director Kristina Simpson went before the Whitefield Planning Board to briefly discuss her plan for the building formerly used for Country Manor Nursing Home. The home shut down in September 2021.
Simpson said she plans to open the nearly 17,000-square-foot building as Holistic Sober Center, a 54-bed coed facility for individuals who are seeking a treatment plan post-detoxification from addictive substances, such as drugs and alcohol. The owner of the center is Harmony Haven LLC, a company owned by Simpson and her business partner, Kenneth Raye, who currently resides in Florida.
The public hearing on April 10 pertained to Harmony Haven LLC’s change of use application with the town of Whitefield. Simpson said she plans to shift the building’s use from residential care for the elderly to residential care for substance use.
Simpson gave a brief presentation of her plan to the board during the public hearing. She said her intent is to maintain the current size of the building, having no plans to expand on the land in the future.
Additionally, she said the currently unused portions of the land will be used for recreational purposes. The building will include amenities such as a cardio and weight room, gym, salon, day room, and private visitor rooms. Visiting hours will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
The clientele for the center will is men and women ages 18-65 who have recently gone through detoxification. The majority of residents will be referred to the program by hospitals and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, according to Simpson.
Simpson said the center will partake in random drug tests, and part of the application process is a background check, which will provide the center access to individual prison and medical records.
In an effort to ease the minds of residents, she said, the center will constantly be locked and residents will be supervised. Additionally, the building’s windows and doors will be armed with alarms.
Residents will constantly be engaged in programming, according to Simpson, such as group or individual therapy sessions or vocational courses.
Over 40 people gather in the central fire station in Whitefield the evening of Wednesday, April 10 to hear about Harmony Haven LLC’s plan for a residential substance use treatment facility in the building that previously housed Country Manor Nursing Home at 132 Main St. in Coopers Mills. (Piper Pavelich photo)
Concerns from members of the public at the public hearing included increased foot and vehicle traffic through Coopers Mills; resident safety; a lack of public disclosure by the facility’s investors, particularly Simpson; ownership having little to no experience in the medical field; effect on property values; previous septic failure; and, overall, a general negative shift in the current environment of the village.
“I’m opposed to the application … For many years, the nursing home was a good neighbor … The application by Harmony Haven LLC does not set out a plan to create good neighbors,” said Coopers Mills resident Ellen Vickers. “These people seeking treatment need support; however, the concept of creating residential treatment on Main Street would be a mistake.”
“The concerns are practical day-to-day living … 50 people in a road that has 80 is a big impact by the nature of the numbers … I appreciate all the information. I’m more on the fence now,” said Coopers Mills resident Stephanie Chamberlain.
The planning board will meet for its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17 at the central fire station. Whitefield Planning Board Chair Glenn Angell said the board will discuss the public hearing and the application further, but will likely not be vote on the application.
For more information about the Holistic Sober Center, email kristina@holisticsobercenter.com.
Harmony Haven LLC’s change of use application can be viewed at the town office, located at 36 Townhouse Road.
