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And in regards to the "group living" issues, they will have the opportunity to stretch the parameters of what staff has laid out for them a little bit. Otherwise the Dedicato Treatment Center will be allowed to go on as already planned. Which, now that I think about it, might end up being the case no matter what the Planning Commission does. The governmental cards apparently being pretty heavily stacked against the actual needs of communities such as Sierra Madre.
Here are the two issues being discussed tonight. Trust me, it is all heavy lifting.
The item I am going to talk about here is the first one. It is the topic many hope will shed some helpful light on the Dedicato Treatment Center situation at 22 W. Carter. However, I am not sure the folks who work at City Hall see things in quite the way you might. This despite what I think will be some notable public commentary from some of the residents in attendance.
Here is what I would worry about if I were you:
In other words, Vincent Gonzalez and City Manager Elaine Aguilar might not see this as the proper forum to challenge facilities such as Dedicato because this treatment center has limited itself to "six (6) or fewer persons." This is pretty much what state and federal law dictates must be allowed to exist, and perpetually uppity towns such as Sierra Madre have no place challenging such things. Should they do so the legal implications could be fierce.
Big government might believe they have done all of this out of the goodness and boundless caring of their immense hearts. But as is usually the case in such matters, they really haven't taken into account your concerns. Only those of the self-destructive drug addicted individuals that you now need to accommodate in your neighborhood. Where your house is, and your children live.
After all, there is a lot of money to be made. Never forget that. If you don't believe me, click here.
This predicament is described pretty well in the Sun Sentinel article we posted yesterday (link). Though it pertains to Florida, the same Federal laws apply. Even if staff only identifies the culprit as being the State of California.
Sober homes are a kind of halfway house for drug addicts fresh out of rehab who are not quite ready to return to society. The homes open in neighborhoods, which neighbors say has led to traffic on side streets and an influx of drug dealers who prey on addicts trying to get clean. People have complained of finding needles in parks and on front lawns.
Because addiction is considered a disability by the federal government, addicts are protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. Those protections have made regulating sober homes difficult, and officials are cautious about what they say in case of lawsuits — one reason they met in private.
You see, heroin addicts and other 24/7 party people are actually individuals with disabilities. That's what the Feds say. And therefore they must be allowed to be treated wherever their hearts may desire. Just as long as there isn't more than six of them housed in any one place at a time.
We'll just have to wait and see how this shakes out this evening. Knowing their independence and awareness of community concerns, the Planning Commission might take the forbidden paths anyway. You never know. They do that once in a while. It is what makes them so darned likable.
This should be a very interesting meeting. You might want to support the real Sierra Madre by getting your bad self down there this evening. Everything kicks off at 7PM.
Interesting McMansion article from CNBC
Million Dollar Home Market Slumps - The luxury home market may be losing some of its luster. Average sales prices for homes listed at $1 million or more fell 1.1 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, marking the biggest decline in more than two years, according to Redfin.
The decline at the top marks a stark contrast with the broader housing market, which continues to gain strength. The bottom 95 percent of the housing market saw prices jump 4.7 percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago.
Sales volume of homes priced at $1 million or more rose 4.9 percent — marking slower growth than the rest of the market, where sales volume grew 6 percent.
You can read the rest here.
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