After the last attempt at setting up an addictions support recovery house on Windridge Drive devolved into panic and anger early this year, the Turning Point Recovery Society is making a new attempt in a new location.
Turning Point has filed an application with the district to build a nine-bed recovery house for men on a tree-covered undeveloped lot on Burr Place, in between the Kiwanis Care Centre and Canlan Ice Sports arena.
District staff went back to the drawing board to find a new location after a torrent of public concern about the last proposal.
“We certainly heard that there was a need. There was some concern with respect to the specifics of that Windridge site — things like traffic and parking, perhaps a perception around public safety and proximity to residential properties,” said Brian Bydwell, the district’s general manager of planning. “This site looked like an excellent place. It’s still close to municipal services. It’s still close to transit. It is still connected to community. It’s in a quieter location.”
Turning Point already operates a similar facility for women on Lloyd Avenue as well as other support recovery homes in Richmond and Vancouver.
The new location is a better choice than the previous one, said Windridge Drive resident Krista McGrath, but there are still lingering concerns.
“Obviously, it’s a much better location in the sense that it’s a little more tranquil. It’s not surrounded by residents. It’s in a nice forested area,” she said.
McGrath said she still has reservations about the district potentially handing the land over to Turning Point.
“My issue is now they’re going to give this piece of property away that could be valued at $1 million and the district doesn’t seem to want to answer the question why Turning Point gets a second piece of land,” she said.
“There’s a ton of not-for-profit organizations that would love it and here they are handing out a second piece to Turning Point, when in my opinion ... Turning Point does not deserve to run another business in our community.”
The district’s substance abuse working group carried out a survey of organizations that assist people with addictions in 2012 and found unanimous agreement that there is a need for more support recovery homes on the North Shore.
Some of those agencies showed up to make the case for Turning Point’s Windridge Drive proposal at community meetings held earlier this year.
“I think there was some very eloquent discussion with respect to the need for support recovery for men on the North Shore. I think it was quite moving and compelling and I think most people who attended that meeting were fairly convinced,” Bydwell said.
As for why Turning Point goes to the front of the line for the lot, Bydwell said there are very few organizations that do the kind of work they do, and Turning Point has committed capital and operational funding to build and run the home.
“They’re coming forward with a full, complete package. Nobody else is coming forward with that. They made a very compelling case for this service,” he said.
District council is expected to vote on whether to give first reading to the rezoning bylaw at its July 20 meeting. That will trigger a public hearing, which will likely be held in late September.
The Kiwanis were not given advance notice of the application, although their management and residents will be invited to participate in the public hearing this fall, Bydwell said.
Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn, a strong proponent for Turning Point, said the new process should be a smoother one.
“It was an exhausting process of engagement even before the application was submitted. We learned a great deal from it and through lessons learned, we decided it would be better situated at Burr,” he said.
