Council hears plan for outpatient substance‑abuse counseling center at 118 S. 20th; neighbors express concerns

City planning staff presented a conditional‑use permit application Thursday for an outpatient substance‑abuse treatment facility at 118 S. 20th Street, a 0.16‑acre lot at the corner of West Avenue B and 20th.

Why it matters: The owner seeks to reuse a long‑vacant building for outpatient counseling (no overnight residency, no on‑site medication dispensing). The city's land‑use definition treats such licensed substance‑treatment facilities as facilities that require a CUP; that classification triggered the public notice and review process.

Details: Staff said the proposed use is outpatient counseling under a state license, and the property plan shows 14 parking spaces though the minimum required was 12. Two corner spaces on Avenue B are tight and will likely be removed; the applicant will resurface and repair the existing parking lot as part of the improvements. Staff also described proposed landscaping and planter boxes to soften the frontage.

Public reaction: Planning staff reported one support letter and five letters in opposition among notified neighbors — about 12% opposition, short of the 20% threshold that would require a supermajority vote to override neighborhood objections. Staff and the applicant told council members the facility would operate during normal business hours and that scheduled evening appointments would likely end no later than 6 p.m.

Staff comment and next steps: Staff acknowledged the local concern and said the city will treat the use conservatively under current land‑use definitions; staff suggested future clarifications to the land‑use table to distinguish counseling‑style outpatient services from other licensed residential treatment facilities.

Ending: The CUP will return for a formal hearing/action on the public agenda; no permit decision was made at the workshop.