Santa Rosa zoning board backs 12 Oaks Recovery expansion with fence condition after neighbors raise safety concerns

The Santa Rosa County Zoning Board recommended approval of a conditional-use request from 12 Oaks Recovery to expand its facility, with board members attaching a condition that a shoreline fence be installed as part of the project.

Neighbors pressed the board Thursday for stronger safety and screening measures while the facility’s leadership described steps already taken to reduce noise and strengthen admissions procedures. The board voted to recommend approval “without objection,” with a requirement that the fence be installed tied to the project recommendation.

At a public hearing, Heather Joseph, CEO of 12 Oaks Recovery, outlined changes the facility adopted since the board last considered the case. Joseph said alarms on campus have been adjusted to the “lowest possible decibel allowed in accordance with regulatory guidelines,” staff are trained and authorized to silence alarms when appropriate, and lights-out was moved from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. She also said leadership…