By KAFIA HOSH
Stafford County officials have deferred a request for a Poplar Road farm to house a drug- and alcohol-recovery program.
Teen Challenge of Fredericksburg Inc. applied for a conditional-use permit to run the facility on 8.4 acres zoned for agricultural use.
The farm would house men ages 18 to 25 who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
As many as 17 residents, including Teen Challenge staff, would live in a five-bedroom home with plush couches and hardwood floors. A separate, smaller home would house the group's administrative offices.
Teen Challenge is a nonprofit, faith-based recovery program. Participants are not placed in the facility as a result of court order or while on parole. Sex offenders and violent offenders are not permitted, and participants do not have drugs in their systems during their stay.
Aquia District Supervisor Paul Milde supported the program.
"I really don't believe that there's an inherent threat to the neighbors," he said. "There is no reason to delay this."
But other supervisors wanted to postpone their decision to have more time to research federal statutes that regulate equitable housing and land use. They voted unanimously to delay action on the request for 30 days.
"Those issues clearly pose significant problems to the county if we don't take those into serious account," said George Washington District Supervisor Harry Crisp.
In December, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the application.
Planning and Zoning Department staff recommended deferral to get additional information from the applicant. However, the staff concluded that the location and the intensity of the use would be out of character for the mostly agricultural area. The county's land-use plan recommends the area should be limited to agricultural use for the purpose of protecting farms and open space from the negative impacts of residential development.
"The use would not be in harmony with by-right uses in the zoning district," said Jeff Harvey, director of planning and zoning.
The property is surrounded mostly by single-family homes on large tracts. The nearest residence is 450 feet south.
Michael Coughlin, a land-use attorney representing Teen Challenge, said the conditional-use permit is a reasonable request under the Fair Housing Act.
"Those federal statutes aside, this case warrants approval," he said. "It is fairly secluded; it is in a rural setting. It's a perfect location for this type of use and for their program."
Coughlin argued that campgrounds, club lodges and other recreational facilities are located on agricultural land but have more intense use than the proposed Teen Challenge site.
"The nature of the use is not out of character with the surrounding properties," he said.
Teen Challenge has 170 centers throughout the country.
The Rev. Michael Zello, executive director of Teen Challenge, said the program is a "tightly run ship" and that all participants go through a rigorous interview process.
"They must agree to stringent rules that include no smoking, no cursing and total accountability for their actions," he said.
Supporters of the program, which included Teen Challenge graduates, touted its benefits. They said the center crosses socioeconomic boundaries and allows all people to get the support they need.
A nurse who is also a Teen Challenge volunteer urged the board to approve the conditional-use permit.
"As nursing professionals, we believe every person has the right to the treatment they need to be healthy and whole," she said. "This is where you can make a meaningful difference in their lives."
A Stafford native and Teen Challenge graduate said the program helped him beat an addiction to prescription drugs.
"I'm a person who was saved by Teen Challenge, who used to be a hindrance to the community, who is now a blessing to the community," he said.
But several neighbors expressed their discomfort with the center, worried that it would ruin the area's agricultural aesthetic.
"It will detrimentally influence property sales, property values and ultimately the property taxes collected by Stafford County," one woman said.
Another man argued the center would not have on-site emergency medical services or mental health professionals.
If someone needs medical attention, "your first responders are going to have to do that," he said.
A couple whose home is closest to the proposed center admitted they were initially apprehensive about Teen Challenge.
But after meeting with the program's staff and learning about the program, they said, they changed their minds.
"If anyone is going to have security concerns, it should be us, and we don't have any," said the wife. "We really love the character of the neighborhood and we don't feel it's going to be changed. We're here to voice our strong support for the conditional-use permit."
Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977
Email: khosh@freelancestar.com