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Page County schedules Nov. 18 public hearing on Brookside recovery center Special Use Permit
Summary
After staff outlined conditions and the Planning Commission recommended denial, the Page County Board of Supervisors voted to schedule a Nov. 18 public hearing on a Special Use Permit application to convert Brookside Restaurant into a recovery treatment center; residents voiced both support and safety concerns.
The Page County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 1 scheduled a Nov. 18 public hearing on a Special Use Permit application to convert Brookside Restaurant and Gift Shop at 2978 U.S. Highway 211 East into a recovery treatment center.
Planning staff presented the application from Cox Property Management LLC, describing proposed use of the existing commercial kitchen, cottages and an additional residence to house clients. Staff said the residential portion could support up to 41 residents per day with a staff of about 10, including one professional counselor, and that the project would require septic upgrades and applicable building permits.
The Planning Commission reviewed the application over several months and, after amendments and added conditions, recommended denial of the SUP to the Board of Supervisors by a 4–1 vote, according to staff. Staff summarized conditions included in the current draft that would: bar court-ordered patients and certain sex or violent offenders, require exterior-facing security cameras with a minimum retention period (included as 72 hours in staff’s draft), and require compliance with VDOT and health department requirements before operations begin.
Tracy, a county planning presenter, told supervisors that VDOT responded to the applicant and cautioned about screening or fencing that would impair sight distance; the health department had noted septic work was needed. Tracy said the county cannot condition the SUP to limit a facility’s client list to Page County residents.
Residents spoke on both sides of the proposal. Susan Zorn Phillips, a Luray resident, urged supervisors not to deny the application and said the facility would help people in recovery, noting proposed security and staffing plans. An adjacent neighbor said the site is not suitable, cited local shooting activity and said the area is not a good environment for a recovery center. The property owner, identified in the packet as Miss Castle, said she had accepted an offer and asked supervisors to “listen to logic and facts and not fear and innuendo,” calling the applicants committed to helping people.
Legal counsel and planning staff told the board that law enforcement would have subpoena power for camera footage and that HIPAA and other legal constraints mean some access requirements cannot be mandated by the county; staff suggested retention periods and monitoring requirements could be adjusted in the SUP conditions.
A supervisor moved to schedule a public hearing on the Brookside SUP and set the hearing date for Nov. 18. The motion was seconded and the board indicated support to move the item to public hearing; the meeting packet and staff recommended conditions will be available ahead of that hearing for public review.
The board’s decision on Nov. 18 will determine whether the SUP is approved, denied or further refined. Until then, the Planning Commission’s recommendation and the conditions in the staff packet are the substantive materials available to the board and the public.
