POLAND TOWNSHIP Teen facility ruling delayed

Police will be asked to look into the impact a center for troubled teens would have on the township.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- The Poland Township Zoning Appeals Board has tabled a decision until April 12 on a request for a conditional-use permit for a residential center for troubled teens.
The board said the police department will be asked to investigate the effect such a facility would have on the township. A decision will be made based on the findings of Chief Carl Massullo, the board said Thursday.
Adolescent Counseling and Treatment Inc. wants the facility to house young people, mostly in the 13-to-18 age range.
The company operates four facilities in the Akron area. The plan calls for two of those centers to be combined and brought here. The company says up to 30 jobs would be created.
The site under consideration is the former ESSROC office building at 6969 Center Road.
At issue: Opponents voiced many concerns to the board Thursday night, but the primary issues with most were safety and an extra burden on the school district.
Company representatives told the board that the teens are educated in-house. They said the 20 to 30 individuals expected to live in the facility would not attend Poland schools.
Schools Superintendent Robert Zorn said that because they would reside in the school district, the teens would be entitled to attend the schools.
Zorn also noted that the company's facilities house children who have been declared unruly or delinquent, some with severe mental problems.
Tom Gibbs, owner of a convenience store near an ACT facility, alleged that he was robbed and shot by a man visiting a resident at the center. He also contended that residents of that facility roam the streets at all hours.
Richard Simmons, the company's CEO, said the robber was not in any way associated with any of his residents.
Township resident Connie Coloutes, who has visited other ACT facilities, said she is concerned about the supervision questions and a lack of exercise areas.
Another resident, John Kotchmar, who owns a store 100 feet from the proposed site, said he can relate to Gibbs and is concerned about the employees in his store. He also said he has gathered information showing a pattern of disruption in the communities of the centers he visited.
Treatment: The company insisted that the teens are well-supervised and get regular medical care and psychological treatment. They said there is about one staff person for every four residents, and all doors have alarms that sound if they are opened improperly.
Although the company acknowledged that individuals sometimes leave ACT facilities, serious problems are rare.
"The children who will be at the residence are not violent criminals. They are there for education and treatment, not incarceration," said Kelly Morrison, attorney for ACT.
Fire Chief David Comstock also opposes the center, saying the building is in an area of the township with the longest response time for fire, increasing the risk for injury in an emergency.