A heated public debate Monday night preceded a Columbus Planning Commission decision to prevent a New Orleans-based counseling program from coming to the Friendly City.
During the meeting, the commission voted not to grant a permitted-use request to Louisiana-based Mission Evangelism International to use a current apartment building owned by local attorney Frank Webb at 110 21st St. S. to house a counseling program for adult males.
The decision came shortly after a few residents near the apartment building voiced concerns regarding possible clientele at the “halfway house.”
If allowed, the counseling service would have mentored males 18 years and older who were battling “real-life problems,” like gambling, alcoholism and pornography addictions, explained MEI counselor Daryl Nelson.
“Halfway house isn”t really the name for it, because we won”t necessarily be getting men straight out of prison or anything,” Nelson told the board. “This is more for men who come to us and admit they are having problems with addictive behavior, whatever it may be.
“The program has been developed over the course of the past 20 years, and has an excellent rate of success,” Nelson added. “We won”t accept anyone who is a convicted sex offender.”
Through he 15-month program, MEI officials would accept about 12 men at a time, house them at the facility and put them through a supervised, “very regimented” counseling program, Nelson said.
“We aren”t busing anyone in here to take part in this program. They are already here in the community,” Nelson said. “They come to us looking for help dealing with these issues.”
However, a few local residents voiced strong opposition to the program locating in Columbus.
“These are men who walk up to him and confide their real-life issues to him,” Columbus resident Laisha Smith said of Nelson. “I have kids, and I don”t want them around these men with real-life issues.
“If God really delivered these men, they should be in church or out in the country somewhere, not in our neighborhood,” Smith added. “If they go back into sin while they are there, then what will you do? Would you want that in your neighborhood?”
Short Main Street resident Gwendolyn Woods echoed Smith”s concerns.
“They may come to you to be delivered from their vices, but they haven”t been delivered yet,” Woods said. “I don”t want that in my neighborhood or around the kids over there.”
After the debate, commission members called the decision “difficult” shortly before voting to deny the permitted-use request.
“It”s a difficult question. I think the program is exemplary, but I can”t help but come back to the concerns of the people here tonight,” said commission member Phillip Long.
“If nobody would have shown up to object, I would have passed it without question,” said commission member Wythe Rhett. “But I think our duty tonight is to go with the neighborhood”s concerns.”
In other business, the commission:
n Voted to allow a permitted-use request for a female “halfway house” at 817 14th St. N.
The house will hold about six women at a time for up to two years, and will allow women recently released from prison to readjust to “everyday life,” explained property owner Sallie Swanigan.
“Women coming out of prison say sometimes they have to return to their vices to survive after they get out,” Swanigan said. “About 20 years ago, God told me I needed to open a halfway house. I”ve been running away from it until now.
“They won”t be allowed to have their own cars, and they won”t be able to come and go as they please,” Swanigan added. “There is a church right across the street, so they can continue to feed the word of God.”
n Voted to allow a mobile barbecue stand at 2315 Highway 45 N. The stand will operate some weekends near the Premier Rental facility on Highway 45 North, said stand owner George Chandler.
n Voted to allow an ice vending machine at 2022 Main St. The 4-by-5-foot vending machine will be constructed near Upton”s Used Cars near the intersection of Main Street and 20th Street North, said property owner Darryl Upton.
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