TEES DRUG, TREATMENT CENTRE FACES LITTLE OPPOSITION

Lacombe County council will review a security report before it votes
on the drug and alcohol treatment centre proposed for the former
prison work camp in the rural area near Tees.

Jim Coupal, security analyst with Safe Secure Design Consulting Inc.,
who wrote the report on behalf of the developers of Central Alberta
Recovery Centre, said unwelcome visitors, for example someone with an
"axe to grind" with a client or a drug dealer, would have a difficult
time getting onto the isolated site.

"Because it's in a rural area, it's got fields on all sides," said
Coupal after a public hearing on Monday night at Tees Community Hall
to amend the county's land use bylaw to allow the treatment centre.

"You can see them coming down the road. You can see them coming up the
driveway. You can see them from a great distance away." Last fall,
Karen Cretney and Jim Gray purchased the site for a 20-bed, private
residential facility for men to provide five-week treatment sessions.

Clients would come voluntarily and no one ordered to take treatment by
the courts would be allowed.

It would be strictly for men who are employed and have gone through
detox.

The camp at Tees has a dorm, a separate kitchen, recreation hall, two
office trailers and a house trailer.

Coupal's only recommendations for the site were to build a fence to
distinguish the property, put up signs to guide visitors, and more
exterior lighting.

The site was built as a minimum security prison so the necessary
security features are already in place, he added.

About 40 people attended Monday's public hearing, which lasted less
than an hour.

Only three members of the public voiced their opinions to council. All
of them supported the treatment centre.

Carol Rowley, who has lived about 2.4 km away from the proposed site
for many years, told council that Central Alberta Recovery Centre had
the full support of her family.

"I think it's a very valuable service to the community. I think it's
very needed," Rowley said.

The county has received letters in favor and letters opposing the
project.

Reeve Terry Engen said some people wrote about security concerns. But
judging from the comments on Monday night, people were now satisfied.

"I thought there was a pretty good crowd and pretty good support for
what these people are trying to endeavour to do," Engen said.

Council could hold the second reading for the bylaw amendment today
after it reviews the security report.

If second reading is approved, county administration will work out a
development agreement with the property owners.

Once the agreement is complete, the planning department will make a
recommendation to council on whether to go to third, and final, reading.