Carbonear approves sober living house

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After hearing from the public and seeking clarification from the applicant, Carbonear council has decided to approve an application for a sober living house.
Sober living homes provide support and shelter for people trying to overcome addiction. Unlike some other types of shelters and rehabs, sober living houses do not allow illegal drugs on the premises, not even in small amounts.
In February, councillor Danielle Doyle, who chairs the Town’s economic development and planning committee, outlined the application for the sober living house. She said the U-Turn Drop-In Centre, as it is called, would be located at 19 Industrial Crescent. It would be comprised of eight hostel beds, a communal area, and a kitchen. Four bedrooms would be located on either side of the communal area, and each would come with their own bathroom.
At the time, council resolved to approve the facility if it received no objections following publication of a discretionary use notice in The Shoreline. At a council meeting in March, Councillor Chris O’Grady reported that they had received some objections, mostly from property owners on Industrial Crescent and Goff Avenue. It was decided to have a meeting with the applicant to allow questions to be asked and clarifications to be made. O’Grady added that council would consider calling a public meeting on the application as well, so residents could ask questions before council held its final vote.
At council’s most recent meeting, on May 12, council was ready to make its decision. O’Grady noted that councillors had considered the representations from the public following publication of the discretionary use notice and had obtained additional information from the applicant. He then moved to approve the application conditional upon the applicant also getting approvals from the necessary government agencies. Councillor Peter Snow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.