Residential program for drug, alcohol abuse planned near Linda

A pastor bringing a residential home for drug and alcohol addicts to a rural area outside Linda said he is confident the program and its members will prove to be good neighbors.

Meanwhile, Yuba County officials are waiting on a response from the county counsel's office at to whether Joshua House, at 4004 Hammonton-Smartsville Road, will require permitting before it can begin operation.

"We want to make sure if they're operating, that they're operating legally," said Ed Palmeri, the county's assistant planning director. "We still need to determine what the county needs to do."

The home, slated to go into full operation next Wednesday, has drawn strong opposition from about 30 neighbors who fear the home's residents will wreck the neighborhood in image if not pra tice.

But Pastor Jim Clark of Crossroads Community Church in Yuba City, which will operate the men's home, said such fears are overblown.

"Our vision is to have a residential home to help treat those who have addictive behaviors," Clark said. "We think the Bible has the answers, and we can teach them work ethic and how to live with discipline."

Clark said the home will have no more than six residents to start, which would keep it from having to get a conditional-use permit from Yuba County. It's possible, he said, the home may eventually have up to 16 residents, which would require a county permit.

While living at the home, the men will be in a 12-month program and subject to regular drug testing, with one failed test grounds for dismissal, Clark said. Leaving the premises will also result in immediate expulsion.

The home won't take men who have recently gotten out of prison, he added, and the men won't be able to meet with friends or family on site.

Because the home won't offer doctor-based drug and alcohol treatment, it won't require a license from the state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Clark said the men won't be receiving such services elsewhere, either.

Robert Wright, who will be the home's site director, said he will bring both seven years of experience working with addicts and a no-nonsense attitude to the job.

"I'll make sure my neighbors are happy," said Wright, who has worked for the last few years at Buddy's House, a similar program based in Yuba City. "If I hear so much as foul language, you're gone."

Neighbors, who showed up to a county Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this week to press the issue, said they're waiting on county officials to make a move, but they're still concerned.

"Most people out here are for the program," said Lou Clift, whose home is about 500 yards from Joshua House. "But we feel we'll have a problem with security and with the home values."

Clift said if the issues with permits aren't resolved by Wednesday, he'd encourage Clark to hold off being in operation.

"We're not trying to hammer him. We just want things done right," Clift said.

But both Clark and Wright sounded ready to proceed.

"It's a very structured program," Clark said. "It's a tough program, but it does work."

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com .