School Eyed by Carelink Community Support Services

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Planning Commission Notice About the Former Strafford Friends School

At the corner of Llandillo and Darby Roads sits the building that housed the Strafford Friends School. Carelink wants it. It costs about a million bucks.

A small number of people in the LLanerch section of town got the following Public Notice Haverford Township Board of Commissioners:

NOTICE is hereby given that the Planning Commission will hold a public meeting to consider the application for Conditional Use approval of Carelink Community Support Services, Inc., for the property at 5 Llandillo Road, Havertown, PA on July 25, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room, 2325 Darby Road, Havertown, PA. The applicant seeks approval pursuant to the provisions of §182-602.B.2 of the General Laws of the Township of Haverford to allow administrative offices, meeting space and related services for a mental health care agency. The subject property is identified as Delaware County Folio No. 22-02-00650-00 and is zoned INS Institutional District.

Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 5, 2013 at 8:00 PM.

A copy of the petition and the site plan are available for public inspection in the Community Development Office, 2325 Darby Road, Havertown, PA between 8:30 AM and 4:00PM, Monday through Friday, except holidays.

All interested parties are invited to attend and be heard in accordance with the rules and procedures established by the Board.

Lawrence J. Gentile

Township Manager/Secretary

What Carelink Is

Carelink’s page describes their Mission and Philosophy as follows:

CareLinks [sic] philosophy is that people with disabilities can live, work, and participate in the community with considerable independence if they have caring support and help learning essential skills. Our services embody the principles of psychosocial rehabilitation which promote positive expectations, full community integration, and program participants as active decision-makers in their recovery.

Part of that “psychosocial rehabilitation” is meant for drug addicts and sexual predators. Carelink is known to conduct “psychosexual assessments” which are described by a lawyer who conducts private assessments as:

This is an assessment of whether an individual who is accused of sexually inappropriate conduct has a risk of engaging in sexual misconduct in the future. These evaluations address the psychological problems that led to the sexual misconduct, deviant sexual interests, and risk assessment, and then offer recommendations about treatment and management.

(The rest of the page talks about penile arousal measurements and such. Not pleasant.)

Scuttlebutt Around Llanerch

Where the school building is located

Emails are going around the Llanerch section of town to get people aware of these meetings. Apparently, a lot of residents at the meetings does make a difference in how the Board of Commissioners may vote.

Administrative offices wouldn’t be bad, because it’s a big building and it’d be better if it doesn’t sit empty (There was a school for children with learning disabilities there for many years but the school has since moved to another area a few years ago). Residents are a bit concerned, though, about the “meeting space” and “related services” listed vaguely in the note. “Related services” could mean Carelink will use the school as a treatment facility, bringing drug addicts and sexual predators into our neighborhood on a regular basis.

Rumors abound about how much we, as residents, can stop this. I’ve heard through the grapevine that even if the HT Board of Commissioners votes down the proposal and shoots down Carelink’s proposal, Delaware County Council can override them (which doesn’t seem fair).

Someone might want to start an online petition for the residents at change.org. (It’s easier than going door to door).

Residential Area and Playground

Mental health care facilities for violent offenders, drug addicts, and sexual predators don’t seem set in residential areas, especially when a popular playground is adjacent to the building. Do we really need a group counseling meeting for child pornographers happening on a Saturday in Llanerch when the kids are out and about, playing on the equipment under the windows of the building? Administrative offices seem like no problem. Counseling space for drug addicts and sexual predators? Not so much. It’s a residential area of owned single family homes and has a playground where children play frequently. We already have more than enough trouble in this township with child pornographers and sexual offenders. Sexual offender treatment facilities should be in more industrial, urban settings, amongst businesses and office buildings, not a neighborhood of single family homes. Carelink’s application should explicitly state that the building will not in any way be used for treatment or any patient in-person processing whatsoever. Hopefully we have a lawyer in the area that can help the residents craft a counter statement.

Mark the Dates

Mark the dates down in the calendar:

a pdf of the notice that was given out to residents by the Planning Commission. Text is above, at the beginning of post

A scan of the notice given out by the planning commission.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 7:30 PM PLANNING COMMISSION

Monday, August 5, 2013 at 8:00 PM BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Both of these meetings are in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room, 2325 Darby Road, Havertown, PA. This is the little one-story building behind the Township building on Darby. The entrance is on the side. Parking will be tight, so look around the neighborhoods nearby. Maybe we can all go to one of the nearby bars after to rally. Crossbar is fun but small, so maybe Brendan Goggin and friends may take us at the Oakmont.

The planning commission and the Board of Commissioners might want to consider moving the meetings to a bigger room (if this is legal), because I have a feeling the smallish meeting room may get packed.

I hear The Llanerch Civic Association website may have updates about this project, so keep an eye on it. Please add what information you may have below.

Disclaimer:

Here’s a reminder about this post and all other posts on Havertownies: This is a blog, not a newspaper. We are not reporting; We are writing personal essays and opinions based on the facts and evidence we have. Please contact your local news outlets for hard-nosed, fact-based coverage (and we sincerely hope that you get it). Please let us know of any updates by using our contact form or commenting below. -CCP

UPDATE:

July 21, 2013: Here’s a notice that residents received on Saturday. Text below:

Public Notice Haverford Township Board of Commissioners

NOTICE is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 5, 2013, at 8:00 PM, in its Meeting Room, 2325 Darby Road, Havertown, PA, at which time the Board will consider the application for Conditional Use approval of Carelink Community Support Services, Inc., for the property at 5 Llandillo Road, Havertown, PA. The applicant seeks approval pursuant to the provisions of §182-602.B.2 of the General Laws of the Township of Haverford to allow administrative offices, meeting space and related services for a mental health care agency. The subject property is identified as Delaware County Folio No. 22-02-00650-00 and is zoned INS Institutional District.

All interested parties are invited to attend and be heard in accordance with the rules and procedures established by the Board.

Lawrence J. Gentile

Township Manager/Secretary

Advertised: Delaware County Daily Times July 17,2013 July 24, 2013

UPDATE: July 23, 2013:

A new letter from a Llanerch resident-slash-attorney named Brian outlines his best strategy the residents should take with the Planning Committee and the Board of Commissioners. Brian makes good points. We all need to coordinate our efforts. That means this, most importantly: Don’t bug your Board representative, or she or he will have to recuse themselves from the vote and you don’t want that. Do NOT ask your ward commissioner how she or he will vote. Also, at the meetings, please be polite and courteous. We will make our points, and we will be heard. The Board of Commissioners wants our township to prosper; they want what is best for the Llanerch neighborhood.

Brian’s strategy is summed up as this: We want to stop all conditions of use that deal with patient therapy or even patient processing. Administrative offices are OK; patients are not. Carelink will appeal this restriction to Delaware County’s board, but they are more likely to agree with the restriction if we don’t say NO outright to Carelink. The Delaware County board would most likely overturn a total ban on Carelink, then we would have no way of stopping the treatments of patients, including sexual predators, in that facility.

Here is Brian’s letter in total, as copied & pasted directly from an email we received today:

Hi Neighbors & Friends,

Another neighbor/attorney drafted this letter so that I can forward it on to you. Anyone who can show support for this is much appreciated. Also, please share this with your fellow neighbors and friends. Not everyone has been made aware that the former Stratford Friends Building has been purchased nor has everyone been informed about the intended purpose. Please read below:

Community members:

A recent application for conditional use of the Stratford Friends School building was filed in the Township. A conditional use is a request for permission – that is usually granted – to use a building for a particular purpose. The use of the school in this case is being requested by Carelink – a mental health services provider in Delaware County. The petition for conditional use contemplates that the building will be used for various administartive actions, but also for providing counseling and training programs for Carelink. The petition does not restrict the use in a way that would prevent Carelink from providing mental health services to its clients at the location. In fact, the application appears to contemplate that some services would be provided at the location.

There are two upcomming meetings relevant to this request. The first is on Thursday, July 25, 2013. The Planning commission is going to hear from the application and answer questions on the Petition. The Board of Commissioners will vote on this at the August 5, 2013 meeting.

For all community members concerned about having this school building used in this matter, here is how I think we should proceed. There will be a record created at the planning commission meeting on Thursday. One of our neighbors familiar with municipal law will attend with a specific list of questions for the applicant to answer. Since it is a public meeting and we are permitted to ask questions, he will be looking to establish that

(1) this request is for medical treatment and related services on site,

(2) that the use of a medical treatment facility next to a public park is not appropriate.

(3) that the use sought is broader than just office space,

(4) that the services to be provided are not compatible with a setting such as the neighborhood.

(5) that the Planning commission must consider the nature of the Llanerch community when it makes its recommendation to the BOC.

The commissioners must recieve the unequivocal message from the community that the treatment of patients is not appropriate for a facility next to a Township park in the middle of a neighborhood. Office space for administrative tasks and for billing, HR, etc, would not have an adverse impact on the community. It will be difficult to oppose any use of the building because a decision to deny the Petition outright woudl be appealed to the Court in Media and the Township would likely be overturned. But, if the Township makes its finding on the record that the only compatible use for the community is as administrative office space, then the Township would have a stronger defense if there is an appeal.

I know many neighbors are planning to come to the hearing and that would be good for both establishing the record and for making the commissioners aware of our feelings. The Petition – as written – does ask for permission to treat and provide “counseling” and other services to patients. It is not an overt request, but it is there and if approved as requested, we would have no possibility of stopping the treatment later.

The constant plea to the commissioners must be that we do not oppose the request for administrative offices, board meetings, fund raisers, etc. We are opposed to the use of a facility in a residential neighborhood and next to a public park as a medical treatment facility of any kind. One thing to be careful of is that if the commissioners are pressed and give a statement about how they will vote, the commissioner could be forced to recuse themselves from the vote on August 5. Our best course is to let them know from as many people as possible that we believe that (1) the office is ok, (2) the treatment of patients will have an “adverse impact” on our neighborhood, and (3) that the denial or restriction of this request is within the authority of the Township commissioners and that they must do so.

Brian

____________________________

The :petition: from Carelink: at Haverford Township website

PDF that takes a LONG time to load: CarelinkApplication (Hat tip Dan Chambers via Facebook)

UPDATE: August 9 2013. Letter from the VP of the Llanerch Civic Association:

I have just received word from Commissioner Mario Oliva that CareLink’s attorney has submitted paperwork to Assistant Township Manager Lori Widdop amending their conditional use application so that use of the property at 5 Llandillo Rd will be limited solely to administrative use.
There will be no clinical or rehabilitative services on the property what-so-ever. Nor will there be any outreach skills or training programs offered to clients as originally anticipated and testified to at the Planning Commission meeting.
They will present the revised plan at the August 22nd meeting.

Chris Millay,
Vice President Llanerch Civic Association