Substance abuse treatment facility proposed near hospital

The Carson City Planning Commission on Wednesday will consider a permit for a new residential substance use disorder treatment center proposed for a vacant lot south of the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

The meeting starts at 5 p.m. in the community center board room, 851 E. William St.

Planning commissioners will review a request for a special use permit (SUP) for a congregate care housing facility on property zoned retail commercial and located at 1625 Vista Lane.

“Vitality Unlimited (applicant) is proposing the construction and operation of a 36-bed, 9,200-square-foot residential substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment facility at the subject (approximately) 0.79-acre parcel,” according to the agenda. “The facility will allow clients to temporarily reside on-site while receiving treatment. There will be 10-12 staff members on-site daily. Per Carson City Municipal Code (CCMC) 18.04.130 congregate care housing is a conditional use in the RC zoning district and therefore requires approval of an SUP.”

Vitality Unlimited’s website defines a co-occurring disorder as “the condition in which an individual has a co-existing mental illness and substance use disorder.”

According to a staff report, public notices for the project were mailed to 39 property owners within 600 feet of the site Oct. 18. The Community Development Department had received three written comments at the time of the report.

“This rehab facility will negatively impact the Silver Oak community and the people who live in that neighborhood,” wrote Jerry Van Lengen and Catherine McGowan-Van Lengen.

They claimed the project, bordering a golf course, would increase crime in what they described as “an upscale neighborhood.”

Richard Cribben of Siena Drive wrote: “I don’t believe that a residential facility like this would be appropriate for this area. I would suggest that the facility would be a better fit on the Carson Street/Long Street area, (commercial area) where the homeless or near homeless are already seen daily. I have over 30 years’ experience in municipal policing and know how bad things happen.”

Both planning staff and Vitality Unlimited maintained the project would not be detrimental to the surrounding neighborhood.

“The project will not be detrimental to the use, peaceful enjoyment, economic value, or development of surrounding properties or the general neighborhood,” reads the staff report. “The proposed use is considered a congregate care facility. The property is surrounded by medical office uses on three sides and a golf course along the southern-most boundary. The facility will not provide services to the general public. All proposed services will be provided to resident clients only.”

In their application, Vitality Unlimited, a nonprofit, said, “This project will be similar to existing development in that it will conform with the CC&Rs in effect within the Medical Office Park South where it is located.”

Sarah Adler, project manager representing Vitality, said Carson Tahoe Health has approved the residential treatment use in the medical park.

The project application further explains the nonprofit runs an American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Level 3.5 program that includes detox and inpatient treatment and supportive outpatient services. The residential treatment is “necessary to support a permanent break from addiction.”

Vitality’s current treatment center operates in the Carson City Health and Human Services facility off Long Street, “which it must vacate due to the city’s space needs,” according to the application.

“Carson City has committed $500,000 in ARPA (federal funding) to assist with relocation,” the application says.

The project application also pointed to $3 million in state funds allocated to the nonprofit “to preserve and increase SUD treatment beds in the region.”

“Existing buildings and properties in Carson City have been actively sought and carefully analyzed; all are cost prohibitive or would provide only a short-term solution,” reads the application. “Without a new location, Northern Nevada will lose 25 treatment beds; with the proposed location, it is anticipated the number of beds can increase to approximately 36 beds.”

Regarding the state funding, Adler said the money needs to be obligated to construction by the end of the year, or Vitality will lose it.

More treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues was identified as a priority in the 2022 quad-county Community Health Needs Assessment undertaken by the city, surrounding counties and Carson Tahoe Health. That assessment is online: https://www.carsontahoe.com/community-health-needs-assessment.html

“Vitality is a cost-saving part of the solution to a pervasive need for integrated SUD treatment and mental health services, made much greater in recent years with the advent of fentanyl,” the project application says. “A significant portion of its clients choose to enter treatment as an alternative to incarceration; they receive close oversight from a variety of specialty courts and alternative sentencing programs in our region. All clients are only admitted after a rigorous Request for Admission review of their personal and legal history.”

Adler said Vitality appreciates neighbors’ concerns and sees those concerns as educational opportunities. She said the program only takes those committed to making positive changes in their lives.

Total project costs, Adler estimated, are around $5 million. She said the nonprofit would be incurring some debt to complete the project and thus has “a lot of skin in the game.”

Cameron Gresh, Carson City public information officer, said in the event Vitality Unlimited is not able to secure a new location, it would be up to the Board of Supervisors on whether the nonprofit remain in a city facility.

In other action:

• Planning commissioners will consider extending a SUP to allow an unlimited gaming casino, bar and additional signage on property zoned retail commercial-planned unit development at 3246 N. Carson St., near the old K-Mart building that recently saw SUP approval for storage and commercial use.

“Silver Bullet of Nevada LLC (applicant) is requesting an extension of time for an approved SUP to allow for the establishment of unlimited gaming, a bar and additional signage,” according to the agenda. “The original SUP was approved in 2016 and due to continued litigation associated with the property where the use has been approved, the applicant has not been able to establish the use and is requesting additional time.”

A staff report said the applicant was effectively requesting “an open-ended extension of time because it is unclear when the litigation will conclude.”

“Staff is not comfortable with an open-ended extension of time,” reads a staff report. “To make the finding that there will be continued appropriateness of the use at the approved site, staff is recommending the Planning Commission approve a modification to Condition No. 4 of the conditions of approval to extend the approval for an additional 3-year period.”

• Planning commissioners will discuss the Master Plan update including community input, a vision statement and a proposed land use map.

The update process over the last year has included several public meetings and workshops. The final update is expected to go to the Board of Supervisors for adoption in spring.

More information and documents: https://www.envisioncarsoncity.org/.