Excerpt from The Wash’s “Drug and alcohol treatment facility slated to open in Columbia Heights, residents skeptical”
“A community with questions
The project has moved fast with little to no communication with residents on Park Road. Two residents down the street said the most information they’ve received in the past four months was a flyer from the ANC. Other residents on the opposite side of the road said they hadn’t received a flyer or any information about the project.
“Residents just wanted to feel heard at the planning stage and oftentimes in the district, a lot of discussions happen after the fact,” said Anthony Thomas-Davis, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing part of the Columbia Heights neighborhood.
Ortiz said the lack of communication makes her feel like residents’ voices don’t matter to officials, other neighbors confirm she isn’t alone.
Two houses down from the facility Gabrielle Rodriguez said he wasn’t notified about the stabilization center until his neighbor told him about the project.
Rodriguez said many residents — like his neighbor who has lived in Columbia Heights for 30 years, strongly oppose the sober center on a residential street.
“I think people do understand that it’s a great idea but they don’t think it’s the best place for it … I think people don’t feel like the program will have enough funds to sustain it,” Rodriguez said, adding that residents are concerned people will loiter around their homes.
Other longtime residents have gone to Reddit to discuss their concerns, one user said, “I’m just doubtful the city will prioritize something like this.” Another resident commented, “I’m not hopeful about the city’s likelihood to execute something like this in a thoughtful way that integrates the concerns of everyone that lives in the neighborhood, while also assessing the needs of the people for whom this is intended. Especially given the lack of transparency so far.”
Davis, whose mother died from a drug overdose, said while he would like to support the development, he’s conflicted with how successful it will be. His concerns are that the facility is too small to tackle the large numbers of those experiencing substance abuse and that the center should be located in neighborhoods which have experienced higher drug fatalities from the opioid crisis, like Ward 5 and Ward 6.
“I am proud of the fact that we have a resource like this available. However, based on what I’ve heard from the community, based on what I know has not happened up to this point, I oppose it being on a residential street like Park Road,” he said.
Towards the end of the road, John, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood since the ‘90s, said he’s witnessed substance abuse as an issue on their streets making the stabilization center a necessary addition for Columbia Heights, however, he and his wife Tony are nervous about the unknowns of what the facility will bring.
