Ross County — Plans for a new multi-county mental health crisis center were frustrated again Tuesday afternoon. For the second time this year, Paint Valley ADAMH was denied permission to build on vacant land.
I attended the meeting, and draw this report from documents in the agenda, comments given, and my interviews afterward.
ADAMH had asked for an exception for a commercial driveway at 11485 County Road 550, just west of the interchange with US 35 and next to the former Glassburn’s Pottery shop.
Because of limited access restrictions caused by the interchange, the 13-acre parcel of land they had bought had less road frontage than required by county regulations to allow a commercial entrance.
The request failed for lack of a second on the motion, for the 11-member Ross County Planning Commission to take a vote.
The purpose of the Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Services Board, from their website:
“The Paint Valley ADAMH Board ensures that individuals and families affected by mental illness and/or addiction have access to high-quality recovery oriented system of care.
“Paint Valley ADAMH Board was created in 1967 to ensure the availability of community-based alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services…[they serve] the residents of Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike and Ross Counties in southern Ohio.
“The ADAMH Board does not directly provide services, but contracts with a network of public and private health care agencies to treat persons in need.”
Paint Valley ADAMH had originally sought to build in Chillicothe’s East End in the spring, on almost 12 acres on East Main Street southeast of the overpass. Since it was zoned “Limited Commercial,” they needed approval by the city’s Planning & Zoning Board.
The proposed almost 14,000-square-foot residential facility would have eight beds, eight “chairs” for 23-hour observation, and three main focuses to help people with mental health crises – but not drug use.
A well-attended hearing was held April 10th, and there was much opposition to the center – though not on the basis of the application. (Learn more about the proposed center and the situation in my earlier story.)
The city’s board was required to wait 30 days to give an answer after the hearing, but the application was pulled by ADAMH before that date.
Read more in the next story.
