NEW CASTLE Addiction agency seeks building permit

The proposed Highland House facility will be across from a playground.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The corporation that operates a halfway house for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction hopes to build a new facility on the city's south side.
Highland House Inc. is seeking a city conditional-use permit to build on Long Avenue and Jefferson Street. The permit is needed because the property is zoned for commercial use.
A public hearing to solicit comments from nearby residents is set for 6:45 tonight in city council chambers.
Highland House Director Marilyn Plotts said they want to construct a building for 24 residents and the agency's offices.
The facility has been located in an old Victorian home on Highland Avenue since its inception in 1992, she said.
"We have outgrown this building," Plotts said. "We now have 16 women, and they need a quiet area."
Treatment
Highland House clients come from across the state for treatment that can last up to six months, the director said.
The proposed facility will be near a residential area and across from a playground.
The location sparked concern by some residents who spoke against the facility at a city planning commission meeting last month, Plotts said.
The planning commission ultimately gave its recommendation in favor of the new building.
Plotts said the women are supervised 24 hours a day and are not permitted to leave the facility without approval.
Plotts said Highland House is one of the few halfway houses in western Pennsylvania that serve women. Others are located in Erie and Washington counties.
Council will vote on the conditional-use permit sometime in the next few months.