02-22-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 22, 2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. • (4. #10 -3442 THE EMILYPROGRAM, 2180 NORTHSHORE DRIVE, Continued) prisons called the Alpha House, which charges $125 a day. The Emily Program receives $1200. Dr. Miller indicated a 10 -bed inpatient residential facility is simply not economically feasible for most programs. Dr. Miller stated in his opinion a number of the concerns raised by the neighbors will not occur. We all live near alcoholics but we do not consider them to be horrible people where we have to lock our doors and be afraid of them. Dr. Miller commented that in his view he is listening to a lot of irrational fears which simply will not come to fruition. Steinhafel commented that they heard resounding support for the program tonight and that the neighbors' opposition is to the location. Steinhafel requested The Emily Program consider other alternative locations. Dr. Miller stated they are constantly looking for sites and that they feel this location will meet their needs. Dr. Croll stated she understands the residents' concerns and that she appreciates their support of The Emily Program. The mismatch is that they are not an inpatient psychiatric facility. What The Emily Program is proposing is a residential treatment program, and in order to be in a residential eating disorder treatment program, you have to be located in a residential area. Dr. Croll stated they want a structure that will feel like a home and not an office building. Dr. Miller stated the square footage of the Hill School is 10,000 square feet. They are willing to consider any • space and are still looking at properties. If they find a space that will work, they will pursue it. Dr. Miller commented that the "not in my back yard" is sad to hear from the residents and that he is not sure what the fear is about eating disorders. Dr. Croll indicated she runs all the educational programs for The Emily Program and that they would like to change the residents' minds about how people with eating disorders are perceived. Dr. Croll stated she does not want the residents to leave the meeting tonight thinking that people with eating disorders are psychotic. Dr. Croll reiterated her appreciation of the residents' support of The Emily Program's charter and expressed a hope that the residents will extend that support to treatment of these people. Sam Marfield, 2455 North Shore Drive, commented that he loves this city and that it is a wonderful place to live. Marfield noted that the people with The Emily Program do not know for certain that their real estate values will not go down. Marfield pointed out that they have had two people get up and say that our real estate values may go down and that it is likely they will not go up. Marfield questioned how Dr. Miller can say they are afraid real estate values will go down. Dr. Miller stated there is no evidence to support a decrease in property valuations and that it is all conjecture. If your home was located next to a 50 -bed psychiatric hospital, that might impact your valuations. There is no evidence that having a 10 -bed facility in the neighborhood will cause property values to decrease. Dr. Croll noted they will be improving the building. Marfield stated valuations are dependent on emotion and that it was the opinion of the real estate person that property values may go down. • Dr. Miller asked why the houses in this neighborhood are not selling at the present time and questioned how The Emily Program has influenced that. Page 12 of 19