City’s group home battle unresolved

Deirdre Newman

Those opposing an increase in clients for a sober-living group home

let a little air out of their tense shoulders Monday, but can’t

breathe a full-fledged sigh of relief quite yet, they say.

That’s because the city is still embroiled in a civil lawsuit

against Eleanor Manion, owner of “Dove Cottage” in the 3100 block of

Cork Lane, for exceeding the number of clients she is allowed to

serve in a residential area, which is six. Manion wants to host

eight.

Monday, the City Council voted 4-0 to deny Manion’s request for a

rehearing. Councilman Gary Monahan was absent.

Manion asked the council to reconsider its March 3 decision

against the increase based on charges presented by her attorney, Eric

Katz, that the council applied the wrong legal standards and failed

to comply with the law.

Opponents in the tight-knit community say they expect the legal

jostling to continue in court.

“We know [the request for a rehearing] was posturing and we’ll let

it play out in the courts and, hopefully, the outcome will be

favorable,” said Kelly Smith, who has been leading the charge against

the increase.

The council denied the rehearing based on Acting City Atty. Tom

Wood’s analysis that there was no new evidence to support it and that

the City Council did comply with the law in rejecting Manion’s

appeal.

Katz was not present to argue for the rehearing. He declined to

comment on the outcome, as did Manion.

Throughout her attempt to increase her clientele, Manion has

insisted that adding two more people to her home is necessary for

peer support to allow two residents to live in four out of the five

bedrooms.

But many of the opponents remain concerned that an increase in

clients will pose more of a safety risk to the neighborhood.

“When there’s such a turnaround [among clients], you don’t know

who’s coming in,” said Henry Gutierrez, who lives a few doors down

from Dove Cottage. “It’s difficult to trust them until you know them

as neighbors.”