Planners deny two transitional housing requests

ROGERS — Conditional use requests to allow transitional housing for people recovering from drug addiction at two residences in the city were denied Tuesday by the Planning Commission.

Ashley LaHue with InSight Peer Support made the requests for properties at 3311 W. Pawnee Road and 3302 W. Seneca Road, both of which are zoned for residential single-family use. LaHue said she has applied for a $1.2 million grant through the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership for the project. The mayor would have to sign off on the proposal for LaHue to receive funding, she said.

Supporters of the requests spoke at the meeting, including current owners of both homes for which the conditional use was sought. Many neighbors attended the meeting in opposition to the requests as well.

Attorney Glenn Kelley said he represented 17 families in the neighborhood. Kelley sent the city a petition Tuesday morning with 94 signatures of people opposed to the request. Kelley said the neighborhood can’t handle “day-to-day, noncommercial traffic.”

Speaking in support of the requests, Rachel Szabo, the current owner of the Pawnee Road property, said her husband currently has been running a business out of the house. The home has multiple cars there weekly due to employees, customers or clients meeting for business at the house.

A majority of the neighbors at the meeting said they support transitional housing and helping recovering addicts but are opposed to a facility of that nature in their neighborhood.

Commissioner Steve Lane said this was a tough decision because commission members might personally support LaHue’s efforts, but “we are here for land use issues.” The InSight Peer Support homes would not be compatible with the proposed locations, he said.

The Planning Commission unanimously voted against both requests.

LaHue said that InSight Peer Support will now go to a different city and try to put the grant money “into another city that wants recovery.”