Parents and residents said Thursday that the idea of having a drug and rehab facility just a few feet from a school in a Pittsburgh neighborhood doesn’t sit well with them.
“It's 100 feet from door to door, and the property line is 30 feet apart,” resident Angie Watson said.
The building is a former nursing home. The proposed rehab facility would be next to St. Bosco Academy.
“I moved away to get away from the drug problem. They're going to be popping drugs in front of my granddaughter,” Margaret Didolce said.
Dr. Arif Rafi, who owns the building, explained his intentions for the facility.
“We're proposing for a facility where people come in and come out of drug addiction. We're giving them therapy,” Rafi said. “This is a serious issue. About 1 million Americans have this problem.”
However, neighbors and parents said their main priority is the well-being of their children.
“Having any type of clinic move in that introduces people that could have issues to a school community is problematic, in my view” Tim Giltinan said.
A community meeting is in the works. A date and time have not yet been scheduled, but anyone who is in favor of or opposes the rehab facility is encouraged to attend.
A zoning meeting has been set for September.
