Despite concerns by residents in Highland Park, Calgary city council has given the green light to an $8-million recovery centre.
The Fresh Start Recovery Centre, to be located in the Greenview industrial park in the city's northwest, will provide 50 beds for people suffering from alcohol and drug addictions.
Bill Morrison, the head of the Highland Park Community Association, expressed concern about the centre's proximity to homes in the area, but city council approved the land-use redesignation for the project Monday night.
Construction can now begin on the Fresh Start Recovery Centre, slated to open in December 2008.
(Zeidler Architecture)
Many residents wrote letters to council outlining their concerns over the risk of increased crime and traffic.
The centre's chairman wants to reassure the public the not-for-profit facility is not a halfway house or detox centre.
"We select the people that come to us so that they're appropriately sober and detoxed so they're ready for recovery. So they want to recover their lives. We choose them, they don't choose us," said Frank Frey.
Fresh Start has been operating in the southeast community of Abbeydale since 2002 with no problems, said Frey.
The new location, slated to open in December 2008, would give the group another 50 beds in addition to 28 in the current Abbeydale location, which would remain open.
According to the group, 33 per cent of Fresh Start's clients celebrated one year sober in 2006, compared to the average rate of between 10 and 15 per cent across North America.
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