Planning board tables zoning amendment, despite opposition
LOCK HAVEN — It was a full house at the county’s Piper Building on Tuesday night, as the Clinton County Planning Commission board held its monthly meeting, and plenty of concerned citizens came out to oppose a request.
The request pertains to the Woolrich lodge property at 169 Brayton Lodge Lane, Lock Haven.
The property is currently zoned Woodland Conservation, and is located in Gallagher Township. The requestor, Robert C. Wise, intends to purchase and develop the property into an institutional residence/treatment facility accomodating up to 25 residents at one time.
To do so, Wise requested a zoning ordinance amendment from the planning commission that adds institutional residence as a special exception use in the Woodland Conversation zoning district.
On Tuesday, Wise’s request for the zoning amendment was tabled.
Wise plans to expand the lodge and convert it into a residental addiction treatment center for males and females between the ages of 18 and 26.
According to Wise, residential treatment services will include a 30-90 day length of stay, off-site detox, individual and group therapy sessions, psychoeducation, skills development, educational/career goat setting and development, relapse prevention, and a comprehensive aftercare plan.
In opposition, community member Steve Crouse pointed out that “there are a massive amount of kids in the area. There are maybe 50 dwellings, and in them, there are 36 small children. I hope that gives you some perspective when considering this building project.”
Other points mentioned were travel and traffic difficulties at the proposed location and a sewage septic system at the proposed building that would likely be insufficient for 25 people plus staff.
Though the special exception use was tabled, county planning commission director Katherine de Silva urged that “these are all issues we take in account later on in the process. This is just for zoning consideration…not a hearing on appropriate use. It may not be what everyone is speculating on.”
It is “step one” of the process, de Silva says, and “there are two other significant hurdles to cross before we would discuss the specifics of the project.”
The issue will be discussed further at the planning commission’s next meeting, 7 p.m. on February 19.
The planning commission typically meets on the second floor of the county’s Piper Building, 2 Piper Way, Lock Haven, but de Silva admitted that there may be a need to publish a relocation of the meeting after one community member suggested that the meeting room was “inadequate” for the large crowd.
Sasha Sheridan, one of the community members said that she will be back for the next meeting and she “expects things to get heated.”
The planning commission also announced the results of their annual reorganization, “retaining all officers, same as last year.”
Their current officers include de Silva as director, Terry Murty as chairman, Dave Calhoun as vice chairman and Larry Sheats as secretary.
The only changes to the board include the 2018 retirement of Tom Campbell and the 2019 appointment of Ryan Graw.
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