State backtracks on plan for transitional living facility

A state agency that planned to house some sex offenders in a Northglenn neighborhood — near an elementary school and a children’s playground — will no longer do so after neighbors and public officials rose up in opposition.

The Colorado Department of Human Services will move forward with a 32- bed mental health transitional living facility at 11255 and 11275 Grant Drive but agreed late last week to bar registered sex offenders from residing there, according to an announcement by the north suburban city.

The prospect of people with convictions for sex crimes living at the home brought out a large crowd in opposition at a community meeting earlier this month. The site is less than 1,000 feet from Stukey Elementary School.

“I am pleased the state agreed to address some of our community concerns regarding the Northglenn Mental Health Transitional Living Home,” Northglenn Mayor Meredith Leighty said in a statement.

Human services officials also agreed to build a taller fence behind the property, which belongs to the state and used to serve as a senior care facility before being closed two years ago. The Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health had proposed housing up to two sex offenders on the property, which is on a route used by many children who walk to Stukey throughout the school year.

The plan spurred a letter of opposition from state Rep. Jenny Willford in March and an angry response from Leighty. The mayor criticized state officials for not clearly communicating their proposal to the city ahead of time.

State Sen. Kyle Mullica, who represents Adams County, said in a statement that state officials “heard the concerns raised by residents and are now going to ensure their plans for future mental health transitional homes will take our feedback into account by ensuring that no registered sex offenders will be placed any facility that is within 1,000 feet of a school.”

“Every Coloradan struggling with behavioral health issues” he said, “deserves to get the best treatment they can in an environment that suits their needs as well as the needs of the community.”

The Northglenn facility is part of Colorado’s Mental Health Transitional Living Homes program, which was created by the legislature two years ago to help transition people with mental illness from a hospital setting to a lower level of care on their journey back into the community. The law calls for the state to create, develop or contract with providers for 125 beds statewide to accommodate those moving through different levels of care.