City will look at regulating drug rehab

June Casagrande

It’s just a tiny first step, but neighbors of a drug rehab center on

Balboa Peninsula hope that Wednesday’s City Council vote to begin

looking into ways to regulate residential treatment centers will go a

long way toward controlling noise and other nuisances.

The council voted unanimously to begin amendments to the city’s

zoning ordinances as they pertain to some recovery facilities. In

particular, residents have targeted a Narcanon treatment program at

1810 W. Ocean Front.

As staff and council members warned residents, all that Wednesday

night’s vote does is authorize staff to begin looking at the matter

and consider changes to zoning ordinances.

“This is just a first step in a process that may lead nowhere,”

City Atty. Bob Burnham cautioned residents who were eager for action.

Once city staff members have analyzed laws and gauged the city’s

power to regulate recovery homes, they will hold meetings with

residents, representatives of Narcanon and possibly representatives

of interested businesses to discuss the matter.

“I hope that the council will look at all sides of the issue

instead of just accusations and inflammatory remarks,” said Jerry

Marshall, a spokesman for the Narcanon treatment program.

If after all that, the city feels that amendments to the zoning

ordinances could help, the matter will go to the Planning Commission

and then the City Council. Burnham estimated that it would take about

three or four months to get to the Planning Commission.

Narcanon neighbors have been turning up regularly at the meetings

to ask for the city’s help. They say that delivery trucks servicing

the rehab make excessive noise; that cigarette butts and smoke from

the site are a nuisance; and that the facility causes many other

noise and crowding problems.

“Thank you for looking at this,” West Ocean Front resident Linda

Orozco said to the council members.