Monday, April 15, 2013
Some Hillsdale residents are concerned about the plan because of the home's proximity to a local school.
An applicant has proposed to open a sober living home for as many as four men at a time on Magnolia Avenue in Hillsdale. The plan calls for the men, who would all be 30 or older and "professional" recovering addicts, to share the upper portion of a two-family home. The home's owner would live in the lower portion. Some residents have expressed concern about having the home located just a few properties away from George G. White Middle School. The applicant's attorney has said he believes a key point of the proposal lies with the definition of family in the borough ordinance. There have been two hearings so far, but the board has not touched much on that issue as members have focused most of their questions on the tenant selection process …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The applicant wants to house as many as four former addicts in a Magnolia Avenue home.
Tenants in a proposed sober living home on Magnolia Avenue would have to obey three basic rules, according to Donna Lally, the home's owner. Lally's rules are: 1. no drugs, alcohol or disruptive behavior; 2. the apartment is run as a democracy and; 3. each tenant will pay an equal share of the expenses and chores. The rules were inspired by Oxford House, a national network of group homes for recovering addicts which Lally said she used as a basis for much of her plan. No therapy or treatment will be provided in the home, but Lally said she would help the tenants access existing resources in the area. The plan, to house as many has four "professional men" recovering from addictions, has drawn concern from residents because of the home's …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
An applicant plans to rent space to recovering addicts in a Magnolia Avenue home.
The Hillsdale Planning Board began hearing a controversial application Tuesday for a sober living home on Magnolia Avenue near George G. White Middle School. The plan calls for the upper three-bedroom portion of a two-family home to be rented out to as many as four "professional" men age 30 or older and recovering from addiction, according to Donna Lally, the applicant and homeowner. "They're there for mutual support in early sobriety," Lally said. There is already one resident, who has lived there for about 10 months without any problems, she said. A key issue in the application will be how the board decides to interpret the word "family" under the borough ordinance, according to Allen Bell, the applicant's attorney. Bell said that the …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
A group of Hillsdale residents requested the planning board hold the application while they consider their opposition to it.
An application for a proposed sober living home on Magnolia Avenue in Hillsdale is being held until next year. The borough planning board previously said they would make a decision on whether or not to begin hearing the application at their meeting Tuesday because residents had requested it be held, but the applicant wanted it to begin. The applicant apparently later agreed to holding off the start of the application, board members said Tuesday. Hundreds of Hillsdale residents have signed a petition opposing the plan because of the home's proximity to George G. White Middle School. The date for the first hearing will be announced at the planning board's reorganization meeting January 9. The applicant will have to send notices to all …
Friday, December 7, 2012
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Friday, December 7, 2012
Dear Editor, I just read your article about the opposition to the sober living home. I appreciate you giving it the exposure it deserves. While I completely understand the need for transparency, it's clear from what I read between the lines, as well as the references to the proximity to the school, that the potential dwellers are looked at as dangerous people — much like sex offenders or pedophiles. Sadly, those who feel that way have it all wrong. If anything, these people are success stories... model citizens that are on a path to recovering their lives from the horrific and often fatal world of addiction! I assume that most Hillsdale residents have no experience with addiction or addicted relatives and don't realize how many recovery …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
A group of Hillsdale residents are concerned about a plan for a sober living home for recovering addicts located near George G. White Middle School.
A plan for a proposed sober living home on Magnolia Avenue is facing opposition from a group of Hillsdale residents. The residents have gathered more than 400 signatures for a petition and submitted a letter to the Hillsdale Planning Board Tuesday requesting the hearing be adjourned to a meeting early next year so they can have more time to research the issue and decide whether or not they want to hire an attorney to formally object to the application. Hearings for the application have been rescheduled several times because of Hurricane Sandy and a request from the applicant. It is currently scheduled to be heard at the December 18 planning board meeting. Board members said at a meeting Wednesday that they would wait until the December 18 …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Some Hillsdale residents are concerned about a planned sober living home near George G. White Middle School.
Update: According to the meeting agenda posted on the Hillsdale website, the applicant's attorney has requested this be adjourned to the Dec. 18 meeting. The Hillsdale Planning Board is scheduled to begin hearing a plan this week for a sober living home on Magnolia Avenue. Residents and officials discussed the plan during their meeting last week, though council members were cautious not to share their own opinions on the issue. Some Hillsdale residents are concerned about the home because it's just a few houses away from George G. White Middle School. "Our house is right next to the playground and we see the children there, unsupervised, all the time," Barbara Finnegan said. The home will be for former addicts and "executive men" who have …
Steven Muskat
4:44 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
Any decision on this yet? more ›