'Our intention is to help the community': Sober house shut down by Rochester now on 'pathway' to reopen.

ROCHESTER — Positive Transitions, A Sober Home for men, is working with the city to reopen, after it abruptly closed last month when city officials issued a cease-and-desist order due to concerns around a sprinkler system and zoning, according to the home's manager.

The closure displaced nine men in recovery living in the house at 16 Pine St. Some were taken to other sober homes in the area, others were put up in a hotel with assistance from the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, two of them have relapsed, and three more men were scheduled to move in last month, and had to find other options, according to Raymond Negron, the operations director of Positive Transitions.

Negron said that after weeks of discussions with the city, there’s now light at the end of the tunnel.

“The city has been accommodating and has laid out a pathway for us to open permanently as a sober house,” Negron said. “It will take time, but we will do what we need to in order to permanently operate in the city and meet the city’s requirements and master plan of addressing substance abuse and homelessness.”

Previous story: 'It's been like a family': 9 men displaced after Rochester shuts down sober house

Negron said he is addressing concerns the city had that prompted the closure. He is working on his application to go before the planning board by March to address zoning concerns.

Rochester City Manager Blaine Cox declined to comment about the communication between Negron and the city. He said because legal counsel has been retained by the sober house landowner, he will not comment at this time.

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The 4,700-square-foot home has long been a sober house, previously as Ruthie’s Manor and Bonfire. City leaders previously stated the biggest point of concern is zoning. The property is currently zoned as a single-family residence, which follows federal Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The city stated in its cease-and-desist order that Positive Transitions is using the property more as a boarding house or community residence, and that Positive Transitions must apply for site plan approval of the property for a different use with the city's Planning Board. While a sober house doesn’t easily fall under one category, Negron said, they will file what the city requests.

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In the meantime until all that is squared away, Negron is able to rent the building as a single-family-home to a few of the men who were put up in hotels. While they can’t operate as a sober house right now, Negron said, offering stability and keeping a roof over the men's heads is key to maintaining sobriety. He said that they've gone back having a weekly "family" dinner with the men in the house, and he hopes this stability will continue to help them.

“Our intention is to help the community and the city see that,” Negron said. “The house provides stability in a structured environment, so these guys can get jobs, maintain sobriety, feel supported and become independent. Once we are back, we will work hard to bridge the gap for these men from detox programs to being fully independent.”

Negron said as they work on getting Planning Board approvals, he looks forward to reopening and serving the community as a sober house as soon as possible.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester NH: Sober house shut down by city now on 'pathway' to reopen