SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Deliberations on whether a proposed sober living facility can be opened near Cetronia Elementary School will continue after a contentious zoning meeting Thursday.
South Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board considered whether township zoning laws would allow the facility at 3599 Broadway.
- Moyer Construction LLC has proposed a new sober living facility that could house up to 38 people recovering from various substance addictions near Cetronia Elementary School
- There was controversy on social media because it would be close to the school
- The deliberations will continue at a later meeting to be scheduled
Sober living facilities are privately owned homes for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, typically for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs. They typically have a sobriety requirement.
More than 30 people attended Thursday's meeting. Zoning hearing board meetings function like a court, with opening statements, sworn witnesses called to testify and cross-examinations.
The applicant is Eric Moyer, the owner of Moyer Construction LLC and a partner in Rios Recovery LLC, which operates several sober living facilities in Allentown and Bethlehem. Moyer said Rios Recovery would operate the proposed facility.
During Parkland School District lawyer Matthew Deschler’s cross-examination, Moyer often said he did not know the answer to Deschler’s questions. Moyer said his business partner, Jeremy Rios, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facilities.
Rios was going to testify at the hearing, but he was hospitalized and could not attend.
“If I had known that this was going to be my part, I would have reread and got up to date on a lot of this stuff,” Moyer said.
Zoning Hearing Board member Don Klein paused the cross-examination about 25 minutes in, saying he wanted to consult with the solicitor about Moyer’s “inability to give succinct and to-the-point answers.”
The board continued the hearing after they reconvened.
Arguments from the council
The lawyer for Moyer Construction, Nicholas Sabatine III, in an opening statement argued that the zoning ordinances for the area permit an assisted living facility, and in his view, they are similar enough in character that the board has to allow it.
“I know this is an emotional issue… but your ordinance allows an assisted living facility. Your job after the motion is to make a logical determination as to whether a sober living residence is similar in character and impact.”Nicholas Sabatine III
Deschler said in his opening statement that the term “sober living residence,” as the applicant called the proposed building, does not appear in Pennsylvania statutory or regulatory law. He argued it should be referred to as a drug and alcohol recovery house.
“When we look at the definition of a drug and alcohol recovery house and the definition of an assisted living residence, we can see how very different they are,” Deschler said.
Andrew Hoffman, the lawyer representing South Whitehall Township, said in his opening statement that while the township opposes this particular sober living residence, it does not object to one existing in the township.
Controversy among residents
There was controversy on social media surrounding the location of the proposed sober living facility. A Facebook post about it was shared more than 50 times.
The comments included residents who opposed the construction of the facility because of its location near the school. Others supported it, saying sober living facilities are needed in the area.
The facility would hold 38 individuals, according to Moyer. The location used to be the home of Trexler Park Manor, an assisted-living facility that closed in 2014. The property has been vacant since.
The meeting adjourned after 2 1/2 hours with no decision from the Zoning Hearing Board.
