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Members of the Ashland City Council Tuesday voted unanimously to grant Northland Counseling Service a conditional use permit to allow the construction of a mental health clinic/rehabilitation center.
The center, which would offer residential and outpatient services, would be located at a site adjacent to an existing facility at 1619 Third Street West and would total 2,300 square feet in size. According the staff report given to the city council, the project would be built in a planned mixed residential district that allows for a asensitive mix of commercial/institutional uses.a
The staff report indicated that the plans for the structure meet setback requirements and that the new clinic would provide services for children and families on an outpatient basis as well as a 24-hour crisis stabilization program for up to two children, with the possibility of expanding to up to five children in the future.
Ashland Director of Planning and Development April Kroner told the county that the building design met setback requirements and that a 10-foot landscaped or fenced buffer would be needed on the east side of the property because the cityas ordinances require a buffer between differing uses. Should this new facility be erected, we will be forced to choose between our home and our peace of mind.a
Maday said there was no guarantee that the new clinic addition would not have a negative impact on those who live in the area.
aPeople who are in crisis, especially those who are threatening self-harm or harm to others, will likely have no regard for area neighbors or our property,a she said.
Maday asserted that locating the center there put her family in the difficult position of either living in an area they felt was no longer safe or attempting to sell a home a home whose value would be extremely low.
A number of people spoke in favor of the project including David Lewis, director of behavioral health services at Memorial Medical Center. aWhat we are hoping to do by having this new space is to provide a child and family center where we would be able to provide out-patient counseling for children and adolescents and their families and offer psychological services there, and also in a separate space be able to provide crisis stabilization, beginning with two children, which is what we are licensed for, and possibly up to five in the future.a
Lund said she understood the concerns of the neighbors, saying that the center did a thorough crisis mental assessment.
aWe would rule out anyone who was going to be a danger to other children in the facility, or to our staff or the community,a she said.
Lund said the building would enhance the neighborhood, and that the organization would be respectful to the surrounding neighborhood and would work with them on any issues that might arise.
In the council discussion, Alderman Richard Ketring said the clinic extension was an important step for Northland Counseling and for the city and urged the organization to remain in communication with their neighbors.
aIf we think about our neighborhoods, there are a lot of issues,a he said. This is a community issue, and this is something we need to support.a
On a roll call vote, the resolution to issue the conditional use permit passed unanimously.
Meeting as the Committee of the Whole, the council voted to reject, on a 9-2 vote, the creation of an ad hoc committee of city and county representatives to explore the possibility of the city taking part with the county in a new addition to the Ashland County law Enforcement center with an eye to including new quarters for the City of Ashland Police Department.
Despite the rejection of the ad hoc proposal, it appeared that there was considerable interest in having city administration explore the possibilities further.
aIt seems like there is good, honest conversation going on; there is interest in this, there are people in position who are interested in moving this forward and addressing this issue,a Kinney said.
In another matter, members of the council approved phase one of a city staff reorganization plan.
