Government

Opponents of Planned ‘Sober House’ in New Canaan Will Appeal Decision To Allow It without Permits

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Saying a planned “sober house” on West Road will devalue their homes and open the door to similar for-profit facilities launching in New Canaan’s residential neighborhoods, more than 20 residents filed a formal letter this week voicing concerns to municipal officials. Neighbors have retained an attorney and plan to challenge before the Zoning Board of Appeals the town planner’s finding—rooted in advice from the town attorney—that a business called The Lighthouse can operate without a permit as a post-rehab facility for men recovering from addiction. New Canaanites “should be concerned that these homes have no restrictions as to how they’re operated and are under no legal supervision,” according to the letter. “They are allowed to insert themselves as a business in any residential community. The fact that our town is known for being a child-friendly, family-oriented community has no bearing.”

Town officials have confirmed that The Lighthouse has signed a two-year lease to operate out of an 8,000-square-foot home that sits on more than four acres on upper West Road.

Government

Town Officials: No Permit Needed To Operate West Road Home As ‘Sober House’

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Responding to concerns voiced by neighbors, town officials said this week that no special or health permit is required for a single-family home in northern New Canaan to be used as a residence for men recovering from addiction. After consulting with legal counsel as well as New Canaan’s chief building official and health director, the town planner said in a memo issued Wednesday that a “sober house” at an upper West Road home “is a permitted use and may operate at that location.”

A two-year lease has been signed on behalf of a group called The Lighthouse, effective this month, to operate out of an 8,000-square-foot home that sits on more than four acres, officials said. According to its website, The Lighthouse “is a premier residential facility for male executives and professionals who are transitioning from addiction treatment into a life of sober living.” It’s not an addiction treatment or rehab center, according to its brochure, and residents must be “completely detoxed and medically cleared by a doctor” to live in a Lighthouse residence, and typically stay 90 days, the website said. According to its brochure, eight men may live in a sober house at a given time. It isn’t clear whether The Lighthouse is a for-profit or nonprofit agency, or whether it operates as part of a larger organization.