Drug, alcohol recovery treatment facility proposed for Monroe neighborhood

Makenzie Boucher, Shreveport Times
·2 min read

Citizens and council members had a heated conversation about the potential sale of city property to create a new drug, alcohol recovery center in Monroe at the Tuesday night Monroe City Council meeting.

A proposed ordinance to sell immovable property at 1400 and 1401 Stubbs Avenue was up for introduction. Cole Sullivan plans to buy it for Legacy Recovery Services, a clinically low-level intensity program for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

"What is the intent of this property? We have a school, we have children, we have a lot of females, professional things in this area and we are just a little concerned not knowing what is going to happen," said Danny Hunt, a Monroe resident.

Joe Montgomery, part of Legacy Recovery Services, said, "At the end of the day it (Legacy Recovery Services) will create about 15-20 jobs, it is monitored by the Department of Behavioral Health and regulated by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal."

Concerned citizen Carolyn Hunt said, "It is such a beautiful area, and we would like to keep it that way."

Members of the Monroe City Council at the Oct. 30 meeting.
Members of the Monroe City Council at the Oct. 30 meeting.

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Councilwoman Gretchen Ezernack asked Montgomery if this facility served as a buffer for individuals to get a job and enter back into the world.

"It is a low-level medical treatment facility that is designed to catch individuals coming out of a level 3.5 facility, which is a higher intensity program," said Montgomery.

Resident Marie Brown said, "You are going to see that neighborhood change — you cannot control where these people are coming from."

"We understand the concerns," said Montgomery.

After a lengthy conversation, the council unanimously decided to move the discussion to a community meeting to be held at its second October meeting.

Read:Four Monroe organizations will get up to $100K in ARPA funding

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the USA Today Network. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Drug, alcohol recovery facility proposed for Monroe neighborhood