A proposed sober living facility on North Mountain Road in Jefferson will face fewer obstacles from the town than was previously thought, according to Jefferson Code Enforcement Officer Stanley Waltz.
According to Waltz, the Maine Municipal Association has informed him the proposed sober house would not constitute a change of use for the Curtis House, the building that proponents hope will house the facility.
This means they will not need approval from the town to open the house. This development removes one roadblock from what has been a tumultuous journey to date.
The proposal – organized by Lincoln County Communities Against Substance Abuse, Healthy Lincoln County and Youth Promise – is to install a sober living facility for male Lincoln County residents in the former Curtis House building.
The idea received vocal support from the Lincoln County Commissioners in July, but when the group brought the proposal in front of the Jefferson Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting July 19, several Jefferson residents voiced concerns about the project.
Residents were primarily concerned about the potential for residents at the house to be kicked out due to alcohol or drug relapse and become homeless. If those individuals requested help from the town, Jefferson is required by state law to provide support and financial assistance to help them find shelter.
“We’re not going to kick them out onto North Mountain Road with no help and no one to call,” said Joyce Steel, Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for Healthy Lincoln County, in response to those concerns.
The sober house will have a protocol in place for how to deal with residents that violate the requirement that they remain sober, and it will involve expulsion from the house, but it will not be so immediate as to leave the person stranded, Steel said. “If they need hospitalization, they’ll be transported.”
Many of the issues that have been raised will be solved to a large extent by maintaining a rigorous selection process for applicants to the house, according to CASA member Bobby Whear. “The sad thing is, we’re going to be able to be choosey,” Whear said.
However, Waltz and the Selectmen told Whear at the July 19 meeting that he would need to take the proposal in front of the Planning Board because it constituted a change of use for the property.
This might have proven to be a major obstacle for the house. The Seven Tree Foundation, which owns the property, refused to file for a change of use or let any representatives of the sober house speak on their behalf until a formal lease agreement had been reached.
Lawyers at the MMA told Waltz recently that the sober house would not constitute a change of use for the building, so there is little town officials can do to prevent the sober house from going forward, Waltz said.
“That’s the end of this chapter,” said Ralph Martin, Chairman of the Jefferson Planning Board.
Now that the MMA has assured them that they do not need approval from the town, the only obstacle left for the sober house is funding.
Proponents estimate startup costs to be about $30,000, according to their business plan for the house.
Whear and Steel have sought funding from many local organizations, such as Elks Clubs and the Rotary, and have been involved in talks with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Two Bridges Regional Jail Authority about funding from those organizations.
So far, no concrete funding source has been found, Whear said, and the group is still looking for support.
Anyone seeking more information about the sober house or the fundraising effort should call Bobby Whear at 441-2313 or Joyce Steel at 563-6123.
