Neighbors in Grandview Haven oppose proposed sober home; speaker cites legal limits on local bans

An unidentified speaker at a recent meeting reported that residents of the Grandview Haven subdivision in St. Mary's County attended a contentious homeowners association meeting after learning that a Baltimore company wants to open a sober home for adult men recovering from alcoholism.

"It got very contentious," the Unidentified speaker said, adding that neighbors first learned about the proposal through rumors and publicly expressed strong opposition. The speaker quoted representatives of the proposing organization as telling residents, "we fought with 17 HOAs, and we have won every single 1," and said that approach showed "no empathy for these people's concerns."

The speaker said a legal limit constrains local action: "there's a law that's gone all the way up to the Supreme Court that says you cannot, we cannot pass legislation or ordinances locally in Saint Mary's County," the Unidentified speaker said. The meeting remarks did not identify the specific court case or provide a citation.

The speaker also reported related local concern about a separate rumor that a cannabis facility might be installed at the Hollywood wood treatment plant; neighbors near that facility were described as "very concerned" and following the process.

No formal actions, votes or outcomes were reported in the meeting remarks; the speaker said only that "let's hope it works out" and that community members and the proposing group would need to find a solution.

The account in the meeting transcript does not identify the proposing organization by name nor state whether a permit application or formal siting process has been filed. The speaker characterized the outreach by the proposing group as aggressive and said some residents felt their property concerns were dismissed.