Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors oppose proposed 78‑bed Asha Vista psychiatric hospital; board declines special exception
Summary
Residents of Springfield and adjacent subdivisions urged the Horry County Board of Zoning Appeals to deny a requested exception that would locate a 78‑bed, adult acute psychiatric hospital within 2,000 feet of residential zoning; the board voted to reject the special exception after public safety and notification concerns.
The Horry County Board of Zoning Appeals declined a request for a special exception to allow a proposed 78‑bed acute psychiatric hospital at 12287 Highway 707, citing sustained public opposition and concerns about impacts on nearby homes. Fran Savageau, chief executive officer of Asha Vista, told the board the facility would offer short‑term (typically five to seven days) adult psychiatric care and said the operator is Joint Commission accredited and holds CMS deemed status. "We are not an opioid treatment facility," Savageau said, adding the facility would be locked in accordance with state law and most patients would be voluntary.
Residents who live near the site said the facility’s proximity to single‑family houses and a subdivision developed in 2020 raised safety, traffic and property‑value concerns. Russ Chanis, who lives behind the building proposed for redevelopment, said neighbors had not been adequately notified and described personal experiences that shaped his opposition: "This is not acceptable by any means," he said, arguing that his children and other neighborhood residents could be at risk. Several other speakers pressed the board for stricter screening, questioned security plans and cited online materials they said suggested past facilities included broader substance‑use services.
Board members pressed the applicant on security and discharge procedures, asking how the two progressive locked doors work and how staff would handle voluntary discharges late at night. Savageau said staff would provide transportation after discharge and that ambulance transfers and doctor‑ordered holds of up to 72 hours are part of the model when clinically necessary. She also described proposed mitigation for neighbors — a structural wall and landscaping — and said the operator would work with local stakeholders to hold a town hall.
After the public comment period, a motion to approve the special exception under staff conditions was made and called for a roll‑call vote. The motion did not receive the required support and failed. The board recorded that the motion was "not approved." Members did not accept the special exception at this hearing, meaning the applicant must either revise the proposal or pursue additional processes if it seeks to return to the board.
