Signatures have begun to pile up on a petition against a proposed rehabilitation centre near the Paradise Valley Campground. Petition organizers Kama and Allen Woods, who own land adjacent to the proposed centre, say the project would threaten the peaceful rural character of the area.
The Paradise Valley Centre for Change would treat 48 residents suffering from destructive behaviours such as drug addiction and eating disorders.
"Our thought is not that this isn't a righteous cause, it's what they're developing is way too big," Kama said.
She decided to take action against the plan in mid-November, starting her campaign by visiting residents along Midnight Way. While Woods could not get the support of Coun. Patricia Heintzman, who lives on the road, 58 other signatures were collected. The petition has since garnered additional support at the Eagle Run Grocery store in Brackendale where it has been set out for the public.
The responses collected by Woods bear stark contrast to the comments described by the project's consultant Peter Gordon. At a council meeting on Nov. 13, Gordon said he received strong support for the project when canvassing four homes close to the proposed centre. The proponent, Nirmala Raniga, said it is common to run into opposition when building a rehabilitation clinic.
"Nobody wants to have a facility like this in their neighbourhood," she said.
However, she added that many of the perceived problems are "fear-based" and unwarranted. She said the people who come to the treatment centre are looking for help and committed to changing their lifestyle. With a user pay system, costs of about $300 to $400 per day ensure those people at the centre are serious about recovery, she said. "We're not setting up facilities to bring in a bunch of street people."
Woods said she would like to see the centre's proponents find a different location, or break the facility down into two smaller centres.She said her lot off of Paradise Valley Road where she currently raises cattle is her sanctuary. Although she currently resides in Brackendale, she said she visits the acreage on a daily basis and hopes to build a house there by the end of the year.
"It's beautiful up there," she said, "The very idea of having this massive facility beside us is not going to be peaceful."She is especially concerned with a three-storey building for the centre, which she said would tower over municipal height restrictions.
According to the project's zoning information, the building is designed to stand at 38 feet, three feet taller than the permitted 35 feet.Mayor Ian Sutherland said council would take the petition into account when making any decisions about the project.
"It's one more piece of information that we haveit's all part of the package that council takes into consideration," he said.He noted that council has seen similar outcries against projects such as the recovery house in Brackendale, which he said worked out well despite a contentious beginning.
The proposal is set to be considered for first and second reading at an upcoming council meeting.
