P1110596 The acronyms “NIMBY = NLMEO” – which meant “Not In My Back Yard = No Longer My Elected Official” was posted on the wall. Photo by Scott Schaefer.[/caption] by Jack Mayne Woodmont area residents made it clear Tuesday night during a long and loud hearing that they were furious about a plan to build a drug, alcohol and mental health treatment center in their neighborhood along Pacific Coast Highway in south Des Moines. At the Woodmont Elementary School Tuesday night (Aug. 18) there were only rare comments in favor of Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation of Kent plan to build a 19,665 square foot mental health evaluation and treatment facility with 24 beds, a 25,340 square foot detoxification facility with 40 beds, along with an office building, a dispensary clinic, and meeting facility at 26915 Pacific Highway South. There were derisive laughter, shouts, calls to respect opposing comments followed by loud rounds of applause and even boos as they condemned construction that has already been approved by a Des Moines-hired hearing examiner. Pre-approval In April a hearing examiner held a public hearing, then approved a conditional use permit “to allow phased construction of a medical and mental health recovery campus,” but added some conditions the developer must meet. If Valley Cities fulfills the conditions laid down by the hearing examiner and gets necessary city permits (conditions are in our Waterland Blog story dated Aug. 17 here), the facility will be built. About the only thing that could foil the developer is a successful lawsuit, a doubtful potential because of past court decisions. One big problem has cropped up and that is the fact the city only alerted people 600 feet from the development site. When residents heard that Tuesday night, there were loud shouts and angry, some unprintable, comments. City Manager Tony Piasecki admitted to the crowd that maybe many more people should have been alerted, even though 17 close neighbors did attend and comment during the April session. The hearing examiner – because of a law that says “essential public facilities” must be allowed regardless of local zoning – disregarded their comments. Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan went even further in a Facebook comment Wednesday. “The City screwed up,” Kaplan wrote. “With such a large project, notice should have gone out citywide. We own that and will change that process. “I know that’s little consolation for those who don’t want the facility, though even protests that would have been registered back in March/April would not have changed the outcome. The law was on the applicant’s side. That is why the good neighbor agreement needs community input.” Nearly bankrupt city At the calm and respectful beginning of the Tuesday night meeting, April Chavarria said she had asked for the meeting “for a chance for us to have our voices heard, our concerns heard.” Chavarria asked the standing room audience of over 200 at the Woodmont Elementary School to be respectful of both sides of the issue attending the meeting, adding “We are still neighbors.” Then she turned it over to “one of our neighbors.” Candace Urquhart said people have worked hard to alert the citizens of Des Moines “that were in the dark about decision that the city had made for us. Tonight’s meeting is about hearing from our citizens.” She said Des Moines is “nearly bankrupt and is severely understaffed at all levels, most importantly, our police department which currently can’t contain the crime we have.” “Des Moines has done its fair share to support King County and its social services by taking on the jail, the newly developed Des Moines Section 8 housing,” the medical center and the largest marijuana dispensary between Seattle and Tacoma. “Bottom line, we cannot give this project the support it needs for its patients, our children and our community,” Urquhart said. “It is possible that there has never been a rehabilitation center this size in our county before. This is too great of a social experiment to test on our bankrupt city. The unknown combination of a marijuana dispensary, a methadone clinic and the drug and prostitute-infested Pacific Highway could devastate this area.” No due diligence “Ultimately, we do not believe the city did not do due diligence by including its citizens on a decision that could change the face of our city,” Urquhart told the audience. “Our city should have taken the time and great pains to study other facilities, both nationally and locally, in order to identify best practices.” “All the information is needed to make truly educated decision,” Urquhart said. “We look forward to this happening with full transparency from citizens from Des Moines, Federal Way and Kent because we all will be … affected.” She suggested a 120-day moratorium on he project “until these reports and studies are completed to the satisfaction of the citizens of Des Moines and the bordering communities.” Developer defends plan Ken Taylor, the chief executive officer of Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation, headquartered in Kent, said he wished there were “thousands of meetings like this around the country” because there are tens of thousands of people with mental health and substance abuse issues. “Most of us, if we are honest, know somebody in our family who has experienced one or both or maybe we have even experienced ourself. They’re not going anywhere, they are here, they are at the library, they are up and down Pacific Highway as we speak. Valley Cities has been here for 50 years. When Woodmont Recovery campus opens we will be at our 10th location.” Taylor said the company wants to create “a place where they can get all the services they need at one place. We have enough money to only build one building and that is the evaluation treatment center” in Des Moines. Valley Cities is a non-profit and has received money from King County to help with startup and capital costs of the facility, as well as a $5 million grant from the state of Washington for the center and improvements to the Des Moines site. He said he was aware of concern over the dispensary because people could “potentially” get methadone there, adding, “if the dispensary is ever built, one of our partner agencies for treatment services would operate” it as they do others in the county. “Whether or not we want to admit it, we have a heroin epidemic … in King County,” Taylor said, “we have more than a person a day dying of heroin overdose.” If the project is fully built at the Pacific Highway site, there will be about 250 employees and it will be an economic gain for the area. The staff will live, work and spend money in the Des Moines area, he said. Will provide security Taylor also said he was happy to negotiate with the neighbors, with the city or county on how the organization will respond to emergencies, how they will provide security and how they will deal with law enforcement and ordinances. He said they scoured the county and found only two sites, this one and one that was sold to another buyer in Auburn. If the facility is not here, there just will be no treatment services available in south King County. Jim Vollendorf, King County director of mental health and chemical abuse division, said, “we want this project to be a good neighbor.” He said there are 500 area people going every day to downtown Seattle for treatment because there is no treatment for them in south King County. Navos does operate in West Seattle and in Burien, but that is all. The courts had ruled it is unconstitutional not to have facilities to treat these people, Vollendorf said. Can’t keep people safe One resident, who said he was trained in abuse counseling, told the hearing that it only takes one facility patient to cause problems. “How in the hell are you going to ensure that nobody is going to break out? This is almost impossible. How can you be sure that everybody is going to be safe?” Another person wanted to know how Valley Services was going to protect his family and the others in the 17th Place South area. “I want to know how you are going to protect my family and the families of others?” A woman said, “There is a need for a treatment center, we have a huge problem with drug addiction, there is no question about it,” she said. “Putting sober ones next door to addicts is insanity. “They are addicts, they have problems; they poop in public because they are addicts. We will need patrol cars up and down our street all day long.” Then, a woman who worked at a methadone clinic said people were “far worse than you understand,” committing crimes and hurting people. Heroin addicts will do almost anything for their fix. “Community crime here is not going to go away, it is going to get worse,” the woman said. “Lock your windows, lock you homes. Don’t carry your purse.” The hall filled with shouts and laughter. Another person said she had a PhD degree and “I am not stupid,” but she is an addict. “I not an addict to throw needles on the floor. They are already there.” “By whom?” “They didn’t get their by themselves.” The shouts and catcalls caused Mayor Dave Kaplan to urge calm and that everyone would get a chance. Another said, “If we want them to listen to us, we need to listen to them. We don’t have to agree.” Then a woman got applause when she said she was an addict but there were no beds in western Washington to take her. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for places like this.” A father of three got hearty applause when he said there were other places for such a facility. Then today, Mayor Kaplan said he was listening to the 200-plus people at the meeting. “I was listening to everything each person had to say. It did register with me. I appreciate and understand the concerns that were expressed, even as I’m frustrated that people think we elected officials have unlimited powers in all circumstances.” Here are photos taken by Scott Schaefer at the event (click images to see larger versions/slideshow): P1110515 P1110549 P1110596 P1110599 P1110642 P1110807 P1110913 P1110961 P1110983 P1120110 P1120239 P1120311 P1120358 P1120433 P1120442 P1120473 P1120505 P1110791 P1120524 P1120547 P1120629]]>

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32 replies on “No pitchforks, but lots of shouts as residents reject Woodmont recovery center”

  1. I am the father of three who mentioned that there are other locations this could be built. There was also a real estate broker at the meeting who said she could think of many locations that would fit the needs of Valley Cities to build a facility to serve South King County. Let’s work together to find a new location for the facility so we can make sure our children are safe.

    1. moving it to another neighborhood won’t change anything. You simply move the NIMBYS from one part of town to another.
      Oh, I bet you want to put it in Pac Ridge, next to the poor people. Good idea.

          1. NAR, people don’t live in the industrial area.
            In Seattle, a rehab center is located on Airport Way. Makes sense to keep it away from schools, libraries, residential centers.

  2. I am the father of three who mentioned that there are other locations this could be built. There was also a real estate broker at the meeting who said she could think of many locations that would fit the needs of Valley Cities to build a facility to serve South King County. Let’s work together to find a new location for the facility so we can make sure our children are safe.

    1. moving it to another neighborhood won’t change anything. You simply move the NIMBYS from one part of town to another.
      Oh, I bet you want to put it in Pac Ridge, next to the poor people. Good idea.

          1. NAR, people don’t live in the industrial area.
            In Seattle, a rehab center is located on Airport Way. Makes sense to keep it away from schools, libraries, residential centers.

  3. “The City screwed up,” Kaplan wrote. “With such a large project, notice should have gone out citywide. We own that and will change that process.” The city didn’t screw-up, this was a planned takeover of the citizens rights in the city of Des Moines. Something this life changing should not have been approved by an unknown “appointed” by the “city”- read mayor and city council. All after one public hearing that most of us didn’t know about. This was kept quiet to allow the ‘appointed one” to exercise his power over the citizens of Des Moines.

  4. “The City screwed up,” Kaplan wrote. “With such a large project, notice should have gone out citywide. We own that and will change that process.” The city didn’t screw-up, this was a planned takeover of the citizens rights in the city of Des Moines. Something this life changing should not have been approved by an unknown “appointed” by the “city”- read mayor and city council. All after one public hearing that most of us didn’t know about. This was kept quiet to allow the ‘appointed one” to exercise his power over the citizens of Des Moines.

  5. Needing facilities like this is an unfortunate symptom to a society-wide problem. It is an inevitable end to the liberalization of the drug policies which most people actually voted for. Therefore, it is no surprise that society requires outfits like Valley Cities to deal with these folks who have made profoundly bad CHOICES to imbibe in illegal drugs (yes, its a choice to use drugs). But as long as their program gets people back on track, and doesn’t enable other bad behavior, I agree, society needs facilities like this.
    That said, it doesn’t mean Des Moines needs to be the dumping ground for society’s druggies and crazies. We already do our part with the SCORE jail in North Hill; and thanks to the abundance of our “affordable housing” (decaying neighborhoods due to airport noise) we already attract too many of the wrong type of people.
    There are better places for this “essential facility,” despite the fact that the current location meets zoning requirements and lies along a transit line (a low bar indeed). Lets find a place down in the valley (aka “Valley Cities”) away from schools, libraries, and neighborhoods, to erect this monument to bad choices.
    Proud “NIMBY,”
    AB in DM

  6. Needing facilities like this is an unfortunate symptom to a society-wide problem. It is an inevitable end to the liberalization of the drug policies which most people actually voted for. Therefore, it is no surprise that society requires outfits like Valley Cities to deal with these folks who have made profoundly bad CHOICES to imbibe in illegal drugs (yes, its a choice to use drugs). But as long as their program gets people back on track, and doesn’t enable other bad behavior, I agree, society needs facilities like this.
    That said, it doesn’t mean Des Moines needs to be the dumping ground for society’s druggies and crazies. We already do our part with the SCORE jail in North Hill; and thanks to the abundance of our “affordable housing” (decaying neighborhoods due to airport noise) we already attract too many of the wrong type of people.
    There are better places for this “essential facility,” despite the fact that the current location meets zoning requirements and lies along a transit line (a low bar indeed). Lets find a place down in the valley (aka “Valley Cities”) away from schools, libraries, and neighborhoods, to erect this monument to bad choices.
    Proud “NIMBY,”
    AB in DM

  7. I don’t think any of us can digest the fact that this is going next to an Elementary School and after the meeting the other night I seriously hope the City is looking at different options. This is a new low for our City can go as far as I am concerned in what is already an area infested with problems and crime. I so commend our police department for doing the best the can with their limited resources. We don’t have the police resources for what issues this WILL bring let alone what we have now. I read Chief Delgado’s article in City Currents last night. You can see the challenges he spelled out honestly there. What I don’t understand either is that there was NO mention of this project in our City Currents either. If our Mayor says yes we “screwed up” and will “fix it” what does that have to do with the damage already done on this project! I have my little grandchildren who are six with me right now at my house. I look at these precious little guys now and it affirms ever more in my heart that no one needs a facility like this next to a school. Elementary, Jr. High, nor High School nor any school.

  8. I don’t think any of us can digest the fact that this is going next to an Elementary School and after the meeting the other night I seriously hope the City is looking at different options. This is a new low for our City can go as far as I am concerned in what is already an area infested with problems and crime. I so commend our police department for doing the best the can with their limited resources. We don’t have the police resources for what issues this WILL bring let alone what we have now. I read Chief Delgado’s article in City Currents last night. You can see the challenges he spelled out honestly there. What I don’t understand either is that there was NO mention of this project in our City Currents either. If our Mayor says yes we “screwed up” and will “fix it” what does that have to do with the damage already done on this project! I have my little grandchildren who are six with me right now at my house. I look at these precious little guys now and it affirms ever more in my heart that no one needs a facility like this next to a school. Elementary, Jr. High, nor High School nor any school.

  9. this mayor always says what he think are words we want to hear yet doesn’t really do anything to change anything the city has been doing wrong from the day he took over as mayor.
    If you were a police officer in this city would you stay hopping and believing things are going to get better or start looking for a place that can assure you they care about both your safety and the Safety of the people you have been sworn to protect. shame on you Des Moines City Council.

    1. Are you talking about the Mayor who promised four new cops this year? That’s what Matt Pina told us.

  10. this mayor always says what he think are words we want to hear yet doesn’t really do anything to change anything the city has been doing wrong from the day he took over as mayor.
    If you were a police officer in this city would you stay hopping and believing things are going to get better or start looking for a place that can assure you they care about both your safety and the Safety of the people you have been sworn to protect. shame on you Des Moines City Council.

    1. Are you talking about the Mayor who promised four new cops this year? That’s what Matt Pina told us.

  11. The chief of police was provided notice on December 16, 2014. 1 month after the applicants approached the city about the project. He had ample opportunity to provide comment. After multiple attempts to get him to respond to emails, he provided one comment to the planning staff. Read the emails that were provided as part of the public record request.
    Staff has been telling the city council for years that they needed a process for essential public facilities. The council ignored them. Now suddenly Matt Pina is using this as a way to make himself sound like he’s a hero. Well, go back years and read ALL the minutes and find out how many times the CC ignored staff recommendations that came back to bite em… Stop throwing stones in the wrong direction.

  12. The chief of police was provided notice on December 16, 2014. 1 month after the applicants approached the city about the project. He had ample opportunity to provide comment. After multiple attempts to get him to respond to emails, he provided one comment to the planning staff. Read the emails that were provided as part of the public record request.
    Staff has been telling the city council for years that they needed a process for essential public facilities. The council ignored them. Now suddenly Matt Pina is using this as a way to make himself sound like he’s a hero. Well, go back years and read ALL the minutes and find out how many times the CC ignored staff recommendations that came back to bite em… Stop throwing stones in the wrong direction.

  13. No one is listening to the voice of the people. We need this in our community and the rejection being shown is ignorant. The majority of us want this in my community but are afraid to speak out due to the critics being so aggro. Addicts and mental health people aren’t coming there to get high, there going there for help and sobriety. Don’t you want that for your neighbors. Thank you for your time and I may just sign up for Valley city for help coping with some of my neighbors attitudes.
    Des Moines mom of 5

  14. No one is listening to the voice of the people. We need this in our community and the rejection being shown is ignorant. The majority of us want this in my community but are afraid to speak out due to the critics being so aggro. Addicts and mental health people aren’t coming there to get high, there going there for help and sobriety. Don’t you want that for your neighbors. Thank you for your time and I may just sign up for Valley city for help coping with some of my neighbors attitudes.
    Des Moines mom of 5

    1. Mom of 5, You’re just not getting it. It’s not the treatment facility that is an issue, but its proximity to a school! I work in a ER and see mentally ill people and drug addicts in our facility on a daily basis. They can get very violent and try to escape the ER when under constant supervision (sitters and security guards 24/7). I don’t think this is a good thing next to children. The good of the vulnerable children needs to outweigh the good of the few. And BTW, the facility is a lock up mental health facility, so I do not think you will be seeking out counceling there. Valley Cities of Kent is a good institution, but I think they are showing bad judgement here.

      1. actually, its a recovery CAMPUS. they will have counseling and many other drop in services. including treating people for Alzheimer’s. But, people are forgetting those things. It will be a partial involuntary and partial voluntary. Far cry from LOCKDOWN facility. get your lingo right people.

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