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La Mesa resident urges ordinance and oversight after repeated disturbances at sober‑living address
Summary
During public comment, resident Barbie Wheeler read a neighbor's letter alleging repeated disturbances and safety concerns tied to a sober‑living facility on Bellflower Drive and urged the city to consider tighter local regulation and licensing checks for group homes.
La Mesa — During public comment at the April 14 council meeting, resident Barbie Wheeler urged the city to consider local regulation of sober‑living homes after she read a letter from a Bellflower Drive neighbor describing repeated police responses and disruptive behavior at a nearby facility.
Wheeler said a March 24, 2026 incident involved two police patrol cars and six officers responding to a young person who was loudly shouting that the location was unsafe, and she alleged the facility’s manager escorted the person back inside and officers left without housing the youth in a safe location. She also said residents are concerned about clustering of group homes in small neighborhoods and asked whether the city verifies operators and checks group‑home placements.
Wheeler urged the city to enact a local ordinance similar to one she cited in Costa Mesa and asked staff and the council to clarify who licenses group homes and sober‑living operators. No formal action was taken at the meeting; council did not announce follow‑up steps during the public‑comment segment.
