NORTHFIELD — A group of neighbors, anxious and angry that 11 recovering heroin addicts soon will be moving into a home nearby, voiced their concerns to City Council on March 8 and were told the city could do nothing to block it.
The house was bought by Stop the Heroin Recovery Homes, a nonprofit sober living facilitator founded by Bill and Tammy Schmincke after their son, Steven Schmincke, died of a heroin overdose in March 2016.
“We decided after my son’s death that we were going to help people in his memory,” Bill Schmincke said during the meeting. “We decided that we were going to help people that are coming out of addiction treatment with nowhere to go, to help them take the next step in life.”
‘This is not a place where people come and get high, this is a place where people come and get recovery.’
– Bill Schmincke, co-founder, Stop the Heroin Recovery Homes
Stop the Heroin will operate the home as a Cooperative Sober Living Residence (CSLR) licensed by the state Department of Community Affairs. The CSLR statutes became effective Jan. 16, 2018.
“The intent of a CSLR is to provide a home where up to ten (10) individuals — exclusive of the owner, licensed operator and bona fide employees — recovering from drug or alcohol addiction can live together and support each other during their recovery,” the statute states.
According to real estate records, the 2,100-square-foot home sold Jan. 24 for $225,000. The lot, which is nearly 12,000 square feet, is completely landlocked and abuts seven other residential properties.
The five-bedroom home takes up about a quarter of the property, fronting on a dead-end street, with a large backyard and second-floor deck.
Schmincke said the organization operates 10 homes; this is its third in Northfield. Residents are monitored remotely around the clock by surveillance cameras placed inside and outside. Residents must check in by 11 p.m. or earlier — depending on their particular terms of release — and cannot leave without being detected, Schmincke said.
“We opened up in other neighborhoods and never had an issue,” he said. “We really want to be a good neighbor. We want to blend into the neighborhood.”
Jessica Murphy, a mother of three who lives across the street from the playground, was among multiple residents of the area who questioned how the facility is allowed to operate in that location.
She talked about an idyllic time when children could play freely without fear, suggesting that reality would be destroyed by the facility moving into the neighborhood.
“Although this may seem like an archaic concept, this time is now,” she said, noting there are multiple children in the neighborhood under the age of 10.
“They are able to experience childhood … the way most of us probably all grew up,” Murphy said. “I felt it was important to paint that picture first so everyone can understand who would truly be affected by allowing a recovery house to be run” at that location.
She said she commends anyone striving to better their life but feels this location is particularly unsuited for this type of facility.
“I’m sure a lot of people in here have seen firsthand what comes along on that road to recovery,” Murphy said. “If these people mess up, where do they go? Sneaking out of the backyard, hiding at the park to use and leaving paraphernalia behind is 100 percent within the realm of possibility.”
Murphy said the home’s proximity to a playground is particularly egregious.
“I’m finding it extremely difficult to understand why anyone would think that having a recovery house right near a playground is a good idea,” she said. “I really hope you will reconsider the placement of this recovery house to somewhere else that does not overlook a playground designed for 2- to 12-year-olds.”
City Council President Tom Polistina said the city is notified of a sober living facility only after the DCA has granted its approval.
“We as a city can’t regulate it,” he said.
Schmincke agreed.
“Once we’re licensed with the DCA, the house falls out of the jurisdiction of the city,” he said, adding they would go through the DCA for any permits and inspections.
Schmincke said his organization’s properties are professionally landscaped and maintained.
“You’ll see the transformation. It will happen pretty quickly,” he said. “We take pride in our homes.”
Neighbor Anthony Sparano wanted to know about logistics, such as how many people would live in the facility, how often they would rotate and where they would park cars, noting there is very little room on the street.
Schmincke said March 8 there would be 11 men living in the home. Asked how 11 residents are allowed when the DCA statute says 10, he said one resident acts as a house manager, filling the role of “staff member” per DCA regulations. He said it’s common practice. He clarified after the meeting there would be 11 women in the home, not men.
Schmincke said the homes are run very strictly.
“They’re either working or out doing community service,” he said of the residents, noting only they may sleep in the home.
“It’s not a party house. We have an impeccable record of police not coming to our homes,” Schmincke said. “I wish my son had the opportunity to go to one of these houses.”
Chris Houser, housing director for Stop the Heroin, said the average stay is six to eight months and that a solid core of residents forms that keeps everyone else in line. Otherwise they fail and must leave.
“There are guys who don’t stay and don’t make it, but if they don’t make it we’ll take them out of your neighborhood,” Houser said.
Schmincke said “house guests” must sign a contract and cannot be violent or sexual offenders. Some may be coming directly from jail or prison and some will have parole officers visiting them.
“We’re dealing with people that have chosen to come into a recovery house because that is what they want to do,” he said. “If they wanted to go back there and get high, they wouldn’t be calling us. If they were able to go home to their parents, they’d be doing that but most of those bridges are burnt up. That’s the reason why we do what we do.”
Houser said the house manager and the group mentality work to keep everyone on the right path. They don’t want to lose a good thing and so keep each other accountable. Residents also face frequent drug testing.
“If they do not adhere to that contract, after a certain amount of leeway we ask them to leave if they cannot follow the rules,” he said. “If someone relapses, they have to leave the house right away.”
“These are grown adults that are trying to get better. They are there because they choose to be to try to further their recovery,” Schmincke added.
Neighbor Alicia Garry said her issue is less about the character of the residents than the crowding that could result from 11 people moving into a house at this particular location.
“I am in full support of sober living houses. I do believe there is an appropriate location for these homes. This house is not one of them,” Garry said, noting the area is not a throughway, having a one-way street and a dead end with multiple houses.
She also noted the narrowness of the road, suggesting it would be difficult for emergency workers to respond if more vehicles were on the street.
Schmincke said most of the residents of their homes do not own vehicles but said little else about parking concerns.
Garry asked City Council to reach out to local legislators to try to get a limit on the number of such homes in a municipality, noting there was a bill before the Legislature that was held up by the COVID-19 pandemic and then died when its sponsors lost re-election.
“How many is too many?” she asked.
Even those who sympathize with the plight of recovering addicts and the work Stop the Heroin is doing spoke out against the home opening in this location.
David Hayden described himself as addict in recovery almost 14 years. He said he facilitates drug interventions and is familiar with Stop the Heroin.
Hayden said the area is a haven for children and no place for a sober living facility.
“When I heard about this, I got sick to my stomach,” he said, noting how many people will be affected by the home in this location.
“Most houses in Northfield are surrounded by three other houses. This houses touches seven properties, seven properties,” Hayden said. “I love you guys, I love what you do, but this is about house placement.”
Marilyn Lynch, who said she is a recovering heroin addict with 10 years clean, lives nearby with her husband and 6-year-old special needs child.
She said CSLRs are “great places for people recovering from the disease of addiction to acclimate back into society” but that one in this location will disrupt their lives.
Lynch said the area is ideal because there is little traffic.
“How can — what I thought was 10 and now I learn is 11 — men comfortably live in single-family residence coming directly from rehab with no oversight?” she asked. “We chose to move to Northfield because of the great school for our daughter. It’s a safe haven with a playground around the corner and little to no traffic. We love our home and now we have to consider selling it.”
Mental health worker Lisa Eachus, who lives a few blocks away, spoke in support of Stop the Heroin. She said she lost her son to a drug overdose 10 years ago.
“This saddens me for one reason only — everyone here is so quick to judge. We want people to get well. We want to see people succeed, but not in my neighborhood. I raised my son in my neighborhood,” she said. “I raised a child that lived with substance abuse and I was your neighbor and your neighbor and your neighbor and your neighbor, because we’re all neighbors here.”
Instead of being afraid, she said, “maybe this is an opportunity to teach children compassion.”
Eachus said ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.
“Mainland kids are dying of drug overdoses left and right but no one will lift a finger to actually help these people while they are still alive,” she said.
Tammy Schmincke apologized for upsetting the community.
“We are only doing good,” she said. “These are human beings we are talking about. Let’s not forget these are human beings.”
On Friday morning, Bill Schmincke said the organization had decided to make it a home for women instead of men.
“It’s going to a be a women’s house,” he said. “We thought they would be more comfortable and a neighbor did reach out and said they were more at ease it being women.”
Garry said she feels the community will feel safer with women than men but that does not pacify her major concern, which is simply having 11 adults in one house in that location.
“Overall you look at it and think 10 or 11 adults in a house around kids is not a normal situation,” she said.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff