By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

On Feb. 14, the final public comment period for Moyer Construction LLC’s appeal regarding a sober living facility in Cetronia, South Whitehall, was followed by summations by the lawyers.

There were previous zoning board hearings on Jan. 31 and Feb. 9.

Zoning Board Solicitor Thomas Dinkelacker said it will be several months before the hearing board would announce a decision.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Nicholas Sabatine III, spoke first.

“The basis of the appeal is we’re seeking permission to conduct a drug and alcohol recovery house in accordance with the definition on title 28. Because we believe that is similar in character and impact, and permitted use. Similar to an assisted living facility, or residence,” he said. “The part of statute 61 is housing for individuals recovering from drug or alcohol addiction which provides those individuals with a safe and supportive drug and alcohol-free environment that may include peer support and other recovery support services.”

Attorney Matthew Deschler, representing the Parkland School District, summarized.

“The most important thing to look at is to compare the very flexible, very open-ended regulations that govern what are drug and alcohol recovery houses from the very specific, very stringent, almost inflexible regulations that govern what are assisted living residences,” Deschler said. “They are very different. They serve different groups of people. They serve as different needs of those people.

“I think when we look at that, in that light, I think the board will conclude that a recovery house a licensed Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol recovery house is certainly not sufficiently similar to an assisted living residence to be treated as a permitted use in the R5 district.”

Township Solicitor Andrew Hoffman also provided comments.

“The record is devoid of any evidence about the impact of an assisted living residence or any testimony at all about assisted living residents,” Hoffman said. “In summary, the proposed use is a use listed in the zoning ordinance and the proposed use is not sufficiently similar in capture or impact to an assisted living residence and the proposed use of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility cannot be compared to and found to be sufficiently similar to an assisted living residence.

“I urge you to deny the application.”

Shaun Chan, recovery house manager, discussed recovery.

“It pushes people to get a job, to seek employment, and to value what it is to have recovery,” Chan said. “Because recovery, substance abuse recovery, mental health recovery, it’s important.

“It teaches the case that society, the community that we live in, is working toward a solution for the problem.

“If it wasn’t for this facility, wasn’t for people like Rios Recovery, I’d probably still be out there lost. And, I am grateful. Thank you for that.”