Sober living home near school draws opposition
Parents and school board members voiced opposition to a sober living residence proposed near Cetronia Elementary School at Tuesday’s Parkland School Board meeting.
The residence is proposed for 3599 Broadway by Moyer Construction LLC. It would function as the next step for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs on the way to recovery from addiction, according to applicant Eric Moyer.
Moyer answered questions about the proposal last week at a South Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting. It was the first of what is expected to be multiple hearings on the project.
Chris Pirrotta, a district parent, expressed his concerns about the sober living residence during Tuesday’s public comment. His children go to Cetronia Elementary.
“I love the concept of sober houses. I have nothing against that,” Pirrotta said. “I’m very concerned about the safety of my children in that situation.”
Pirrotta encouraged the board and district to back any efforts to keep the sober residence away from the school.
William Allen, a community member who lives near Cetronia Elementary, also voiced opposition to the sober living residence. He said he has been in recovery from addiction for decades, but does not think it’s appropriate to have the residence so close to a school.
“We’re supposed to be about protection of children,” he said. “It should be our first concern, not people like me. I dug myself out of hell to get clean. … I had my second opportunity, I took it. These children are getting their first opportunity.”
Board members Patrick Foose and Jay Rohatgi said they will work to oppose the project’s proposed location.
Foose said he will speak at the next township commissioner meeting.
“In no way, shape or form, should we ever be OK with a facility like that right beside a school building, not good, not good at all,” he said.
Another concern expressed during public comment was about whether certain library material is age appropriate.
Laura Warmkessel, a former district parent, voiced concern about school library books on LGBT topics available on the high school’s online catalog. She said some available books
aren’t appropriate for students.
Warmkessel questioned the availability of titles such as “Gay Issues and Politics,” “Queer, There and Everywhere” and “On Top of
Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating.”
“What does this have to do with reading, writing, arithmetic or curriculum?” Warmkessel asked.
She said removing books that aren’t age appropriate would be different than banning books.
Superintendent Mark Madson did not respond to a request for comment on how district library materials are chosen.
Tuesday night was also the board’s annual reorganization meeting. Carol Facchiano was elected board president, and Marisa Ziegler was elected vice president.