Request denied to expand drug treatment center in North Union
The county zoning hearing board denied a request from Addiction Specialists Inc. for permission to expand its outpatient drug treatment center in North Union Township to an inpatient residential facility for drug and alcohol treatment after the business owners did not attend Wednesday’s hearing into the matter. A proposal ASI submitted to the board states it wants to expand its operation to the remainder of the building it now occupies on the upper tier of 1023 Mountainview Plaza along Route 51 to house a 20-bed residential facility for intensive treatment lasting between 14 and 28 days.
That tier was heavily damaged in a fire in July 2004, but has been repaired.
ASI currently occupies suites 101-105 of the plaza, which is owned by Ramesh B. and Rashmi R. Shah, of Saratoga Drive, Uniontown
The request for a special exception for the property, which is zone general business (B-1), for an inpatient residential treatment center was submitted by business owners Sean Sugarmann and Rosalind Steratore, according to the board agenda.
Neither the Shahs, Sugarmann nor Steratore attended the hearing. They could not be reached for comment after the hearing. ASI currently treats narcotic and opiate addiction with counseling and methadone on an outpatient basis.
The inpatient residential center would use counseling with daily group and individual sessions modeled after a 12-step programs used by Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, according to the proposal.
Patients would be required to abstain from all mind-altering and mood-changing chemicals.
The center would operate 24 hours a day.
Its staff would include a medical director, nurses, administrative staff and security.
Since the hearing was not held, it is unclear if another can be held in the next 12 months.
Acting board chairman Dennis J. Nurkiewicz asked board member Leon Evans to read section 607 of the zoning ordinance, which that address that subject, into the hearing record before the board unanimously voted against the special exception.
That section states, “Applications, petitions and appeals shall not be accepted on any matter for which an application, petition or appeal had been heard and decided by the board within the preceding 12 months.” Section 607 was not entered into the record in another hearing in which the applicants failed to appear.
Henry H. and Kathy L. Friend of Redstone Township did not show up for their hearing for a special exception to run an herbal business out of their home. Their request was also denied by a unanimous vote.