Ledger-Dispatch

By Jerry Budrick (jbudrick@ledger-dispatch.com= )=20

Clockwise from left, Jackson Planning=20 Commissioner members Dave Butow, Walt Hoeser, Terri Works, Letitia = Sexton=20 and new member, Kathryn Devlin, narrowly approved plans for a drug = and=20 alcohol recovery center Monday night.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
In two unrelated decisions, a = divided=20 Jackson Planning Commission approved a Jackson Rancheria-sponsored drug = and=20 alcohol recovery center just after denying approval of a small winery in = a=20 residential area Monday night.

New Planning Commissioner Kathryn = Devlin=20 was welcomed to the group by four incumbent commissioners, city staff = and some=20 knotty questions.

The Jackson Rancheria recently purchased the = former=20 Emmanuel Baptist Church property at 975 Broadway, bordered on the north = by=20 Jackson Creek and on the south by the local California Highway Patrol = office. On=20 Feb. 20, Tony Capasso, rancheria vice president for real estate and = facilities,=20 submitted a request to the Jackson Planning Department for a use permit = to=20 convert the old church into a recovery center for substance abusers and = their=20 families.

Emmanuel Baptist sold the property in January 2006 to = Charn=20 Properties LLC, which planned to construct a medical complex. As part of = its=20 process, Charn obtained a rezoning of the property from = public/institutional to=20 limited commercial C-1 with a planned unit development overlay. When the = Charn=20 plan failed to materialize, the property was sold to the Jackson=20 Rancheria.

Danine Rose, intended manager for the recovery center, = informed planning commissioners that this center would closely resemble = an Awana=20 Center, a well-known Christian community facility.

"We will add=20 vocational training and child care," said Rose. When asked how many = people might=20 be showing up on a given day, Rose estimated "50 to 100 people per day. = Meetings=20 in this area now average 25 to 40."

Counseling for gambling = addiction=20 will also be included, he added. Responding to recurrent questions about = the=20 rancheria's motivation for this project, Capasso told the commissioners = "the=20 motivation comes from the heart. The tribal council has seen the results = of=20 addiction on people, including members of the tribe."

Public = comment=20 leaned in favor of denying the rancheria request, as residents pointed = out=20 perceived dangers to children, cars and property values in the = neighborhood. Don=20 Gagnon read a letter composed by a group of neighbors on Broadway and = Artesia=20 Court strongly opposed to the facility, which they said would draw = society's=20 least-desired elements to it.

"The rancheria," he said, "will = benefit=20 from appreciation in value. The county benefits. Real estate people have = and=20 will benefit."

The real estate benefit is verifiable, in that = Coldwell=20 Banker has sold the property twice in the last three years.

A = number of=20 people spoke in favor of granting the rancheria's request. "I am = impressed with=20 the fact that this is going to be a place where recovering people can = bring=20 their kids," said Gail Sweet, Jackson resident and foster care nurse. = "There=20 will also be an Alateen, which we don't have in the county now. I think = this=20 will be a real godsend."

Bethany Renfree, a single mother of five = and=20 recovering alcoholic, looked forward to the project. "This facility will = give me=20 a place to bring my children," she said. "You can't just ignore the = problem."=20 When public comment ended and it came down to the commissioners, = Commissioner=20 Terri Works quickly said, "I'm going to vote with the mom with five=20 kids."

Commissioner Dave Butow stated his preference to defer the = vote=20 until the rancheria could come up with a more complete plan for the = entire=20 project. Devlin, echoing the opinion of a number of the public = commenters, said=20 she didn't think the proposed location was the right place for it. = Letitia=20 Sexton, commission chair, said, "I'm definitely for it. Sometimes we = have to do=20 what's best for others."

Seated between what appeared to be two = votes for=20 and two against, Commissioner Walt Hoeser thought aloud about "how this = will=20 affect property values and there is bound to be lots of traffic." He = added,=20 "This project needs more definition." When they voted, however, Hoeser = went with=20 commissioners Sexton and Works, with the motion passing 3-2.

Jerry = Budrick