Albany council upholds planning commission denial of 506 Ferry Street treatment center

Albany City Council on Oct. 22 upheld the planning commission’s denial of a conditional‑use application to operate an outpatient drug- and alcohol‑treatment center at 506 Ferry Street Southwest, a contributing property in the Hackleman‑Monteith Historic District.

The vote affirmed the planning commission’s May 19, 2025 decision after city staff and the city attorney told the council that the appellant before them was the for‑profit entity that originally applied. The council’s action means the applicant will need to file a new application if it wishes to pursue approval as a different legal entity.

Project planner and planning manager David Martineau told councilors the property is in the Hackleman‑Monteith zoning district and that the development code (Article 22 and conditional‑use review criteria at ADC 2.25) treats a “community service” use as one operated by government, a nonprofit or a charitable organization. The planning commission denied the application 5–3 in May on the basis that the facility before it was a for‑profit LLC. Martineau noted the applicants later filed articles of incorporation on Sept. 4, 2025 to create a domestic nonprofit but said any new nonprofit application must be submitted anew to the planning commission rather than substituted…