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By Deborah Turner

The public hearing pursuant to the rezoning of a Buena Vista Road neighborhood attracted 11 members of the community and seven representatives of Carey Counseling Center.

A show of hands Tuesday evening, June 28, proved the efforts of Carey Counseling Center officials had failed to convince residents of Buena Vista and Cherry Blossom roads that rezoning their neighborhood from R-1 to R-2 was in their best interests. The community is located near the technology center, high school, Kelley Sportsplex, and the Carroll County Civic Center.

"Every one of us is here tonight," said community leader James Hunt. "All of us are here; you have heard our opinions. You can do what you want to do; we have told you we don't want it there."

Every hand was raised when Hunt asked community members in attendance to indicate their opposition to the measure. "That's us, and that's all we've got to say," he concluded.

The bid failed when no motion was forthcoming from council members after the hour-long public hearing attended by 11 members of the Buena Vista Road community and seven representatives of Carey Counseling Center. Also in attendance was Harold Miller, part owner of the four-acre parcel counseling center officials had hoped to purchase for the construction of an eight-unit apartment building and a duplex for habitation by center clients with various mental illnesses. The housing units could not be built without rezoning, since multi-family housing is precluded in the R-1 district.

Had the district been rezoned from an R-1 (low density residential) to an R-2 (medium density residential) district, the neighborhood would have been subject to more changes than the dwellings proposed by the counseling center. For instance, the R-1 zone also precludes singlewide mobile homes, while in the R-2 (medium density) district they are permissible upon appeal. Additionally, other developers could have erected multi-family housing units in the community that currently caters only to single-family and two-family dwellings, though bed and breakfast establishments are allowed and other uses on appeal.

The issue had been previously put on hold, due to the absence of representation by Carey Counseling Center, during the council's June 14 session, when seven residents in attendance were advised the center planned to build housing for senior citizens with mental disabilities and that residents would have 24/7 supervision.

Carey Counseling Center representatives, Angie Williams, Huntingdon site director, and Fran Howe, director of housing, show members of the audience architect drawings of the proposed eight-unit apartment building and duplex they sought to build in the Buena Vista Road community at the vicinity of Cherry Blossom Drive.

That notion was dispelled Tuesday when Fran Howe, director of housing for the center, said residents could be as young as 18 with no upper age limit and that they would have mental and sometimes physical disabilities but would not be "what we used to call mentally retarded."

He specified severe depression and bipolar illnesses as among the types of mental disorders the residents could have.

No convicted felons or known sexual offenders would be eligible, however, grant specifications dictated that some residents must have been homeless, he said. The grant would remain in effect for 15 years during which time the facilities would continue to house clients functioning in an independent living status.

Carey Counseling officials characterized homelessness in reference to children because, they said, children could be among the residents in the two-bedroom duplex, but not the one-bedroom apartments. Hypothetically, 16 residents could have occupied the apartment complex and up to three (two parents and a child) in each duplex unit.

Rozann Downing, SETH (Support Services, Employment/Education, Transportation, and Housing/Homeless) Initiative facilitator for the center, said there were 138 homeless children in Carroll County and that the Department of Education had mandated that each school district have on staff a homeless liaison.

"These are not people we're bringing in from other areas," she said. "These are people living in very substandard housing because they are living on disability and a lot of them are children."

Liaisons for local schools include, for Carroll County, Superintendent Charlotte Tucker; in Huntingdon, Supervisor of Instruction Steve Peery; in McKenzie, Supervisor of Instruction Diana Crawford; in West Carroll, Elementary Librarian Sandra Crouch; in South Carroll, Supervisor of Instruction and Federal Projects Director Linda Inman; and in Hollow Rock-Bruceton, Elementary Principal Jennie Nunamaker.

According to Crawford, children could be construed as homeless if they are living by choice with a grandparent or friend's family, if they are living temporarily with family members while a home is being built or sought, or if they live in a mobile home without underpinning.

The McKinney-Vento Act regulating the criteria specifies that the term "homeless children and youths" means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence including those who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement; children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances previously described.

Robert Vaughn, director of Carey Counseling Center, referring the audience to a display showing photographs of the center's assisted living, group home and independent living facilities in local West Tennessee communities, said, "We certainly want to be a good neighbor; we've invested in these neighborhoods. We want to see the property appreciate and do well."

He said one of the standards he maintains is to house only residents he would be willing to live near with his family.

While continuously seeking to reassure community members regarding the character of those who would occupy the residences, Vaughn and other Carey staffers stressed the availability of online staffers who would respond within an hour should a problem arise. Vaughn said 98 percent of such calls were responded to in less than an hour and that the average was 20 minutes.

The concern arose after community members were advised residents would not be supervised 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as previously understood, rather, staff members would be on site during the day to assist with light housekeeping and meal preparation with case managers making site visits at least three times a month.

A well-groomed young man was introduced to the audience as representative of those who might be housed in the units. He said he had a mental health problem three to four years ago but was fine now and working with the counseling center.

"I would like to live there," he said.

However, community member Undria King, who said she had a history of working with the mentally ill, worried about what might happen if a resident stopped taking his or her medication.

"They'll trick you," she said, when assured case managers count pills and look at symptoms to gauge compliance.

"And they call the pharmacy and see when the last time was that the prescription was filled," interjected council member Dr. Tim Tucker, a pharmacist.

Community members also expressed concern about illicit drugs and people who might visit the residents. In particular, Hunt noted that visitors--added to the potentially 22 residents of the facilities--would "change the living style" of the community where presently children are able to play ball and ride bicycles unhindered. He said so many new residents would translate into a lot more traffic that would curtail much of the children's activity.

"I respect what you're doing, and you're doing a wonderful job, but I can't see you putting this facility right in the middle of a residential area," he said, later agreeing he had been under the assumption that the center was purchasing a larger parcel of land with the possibility of expansion in later years. Downing said the four-acre tract was dissected by a big gully and that no further building would take place.

However, community member Scotty Rhodes noted, "I've been there three years and planned on being there a lot more time... I didn't buy this house three years ago to have to sell it because you put this in my back yard."

He said if the facilities were built, he didn't know if he could ever go to sleep at night and get up in the morning with the assurance that someone had not pilfered his belongings in the night, and that he believed they would allow people with borderline behavior to take up residence in the homes. He said if it were someone in his own family who needed the assistance, he would not feel it was appropriate to interfere in other people's lives.

Upon questioning by council member Melissa Powell, Dowling and Howe verified than some of the residents' rent would be subsidized and that the counseling center would take care of the grounds. Residents would be required to work toward self-sufficiency, he said.

Vaughn's assertion that other communities and neighborhoods had later embraced similar facilities or been surprised to learn such amenities were located in their communities fell on deaf ears, possibly because the illustrations occurred in urban communities and not the type of semi-rural neighborhood enjoyed by the community in question.

Similarly, characterizations by board member Cindy West and others setting out mentally ill persons as potentially any person one might frequently meet, unaware of his or her condition, were rejected because the overriding concern was the vast difference that would occur in the nature of the community if the rezoning should take place.

West said, "I don't have any choice who buys the house next door... and they're telling you that you can call someone (if there is a problem)... most of us don't have that luxury."

Said Miller, "if Dixie Carter was moving next door," somebody would complain: "If it's not good enough for this community it's not good enough for any community."

Representing Carey Counseling Center, in addition to those mentioned, were Angie Williams, Huntingdon site director; board member Alex Innes; and consumer housing specialist Wayne Snelling.

Other members of the Buena Vista Road community in attendance were Joe and Dot Milam, Terry Arnold, Mary Johnson, Mavis Keith, Peggy Chambers, Patsy May, and Jennifer Rhodes.

WARREN ASSUMES ROLE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DIXIE

The establishment of a new city position, "Director of Arts and Events" was approved on second reading and, in a separate action, council members approved unanimously the hiring of Lee Warren in the position as executive director of The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center. She will begin her duties Saturday, July 18.

Mayor Dale Kelley noted, "We had a number of good applicants but one stood out above and beyond the others. Lee Warren has an amazing background as relates to all aspects of the arts."

Warren recently moved to Jackson where her husband, Dr. Steve Warren, joined the faculty at Union University last fall. She previously served as the interim executive director of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas. She was also assistant manager for administration and community engagement for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association.

"A delightful personality, extensive experience in artistic administration and financial management, and outstanding references blended to lead the Arts and Events Council to recommend Ms. Warren for the position," said Kelley.

In other matters:

* Kelley announced the donation of $40,000 by Carroll Bank and Trust's Wright Charitable Trust Fund, $20,000 of which was allocated to the downtown renovation project and $20,000 to The Dixie.

"We're very appreciative of Carroll Bank and Trust and the Wright Charitable Trust Fund for their generous contributions of those two donations," said Kelley;

* Following a public hearing which was not addressed by citizens, the fiscal year 2005-06 budgets were approved on second and final reading. Related ordinances were also approved, including an amendment in fees charged for the provision of city water and an amendment that allows the work schedule of some police officers to be adjusted to a 42 hours work week, and a resolution authorizing the disbursement of funds pursuant to the new budget that goes into effect July 1.

Water rate increases take effect July 1, with a two percent increase for customers residing within city limits and ten percent for those outside the city. The change of service (transfer) fee was adjusted from $5.00 to $25.00 and deposits from rental customers from $30 to $100;

* The rules were suspended to allow the approval of the purchase of a lot, estimated in value at $12,000 and adjoining the parking lot behind City Hall, owned by Mr. Wayne Cannon. Kelley noted some details remained to be worked out, including the removal of buildings on the property, which will be converted to enhance parking space in the downtown area as The Dixie moves closer to completion. The purchase is expected to add an undetermined number of parking places to the estimated 800 spaces currently within walking distance of the court square;

* Kelley announced local city and county officials had met earlier in the day to consider a central dispatch unit and would meet gain on July 12 to give the notion further consideration. He said the move to a central dispatch location of all local police and fire departments would save money and enhance Homeland Security;

* He further noted the roof was going up on the spec building at Industrial Park South and the building would be complete in the near future; and

* He advised numerous tournaments would be getting underway beginning Wednesday and lasting through much of the month of July.

"That will bring a lot of people to town and we're delighted to host them," he said.

Carroll County commissioners will convene Monday, July 11 to set the 2005-2006 budget and tax rate. The resolution call for a property tax rate of $1.06 per $100 assessed value, which remains unchanged. Voters in Carroll County approved a $10 increase in the wheel tax earlier this year. At that time, the commission indicated no property tax rate increase would be necessary for several years.

In other business, the commission will consider the following resolutions to:

* construct a bridge over the Rutherford Fork of the Obion River.

* authorize the Carroll County Highway Department to perform work for the city of Clarksburg, city of Atwood and town of Huntingdon.. All costs are to be reimbursed.

* add Cardinal Drive, Chickadee Lane, and Meadow Lark Trail to the Carroll County Road System;

*appoint Vince Taylor to the Carroll County Electrical Board.

*approve a list of budgetary appropriations to nonprofit agencies including: Rescue Squad, $6,000; Gordon Browning Museum, $4000; McKenzie Memorial Library, $8,000; Carl Perkins Center, $1,000; West Tennessee Hearing and Speech, $2,000; McKenzie Senior Citizens Center, $200; Atwood Senior Citizens Center, $200; Huntingdon Museum, $400; Carroll County Museum, $400; McKenzie YMCA, $1,000. Total is $23,200.

By Joel Washburn washburn@mckenziebanner.com