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<p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p><br><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Rowland </div></div></div>
<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; A permit application for an addiction treatment center was denied by the township zoning board on Tuesday.</p><p>Developer Rowland Interests Inc. originally filed application in February with hopes of opening the center at the former site of the Commonwealth Health&#8217;s Back Mountain Medical Center as an 70-bed inpatient facility. Following a series of public meetings, the issue came before the board for the final vote.</p><p>Rowland&#8217;s appeal of the board&#8217;s original decision and its request for special exception changing one nonconforming use to another were both denied.</p><p>The decision followed an hour-long, closed-door session by the board, which zoning board Solicitor Philip Gelso said was in line &#8220;with the board&#8217;s right to recess to deliberate on such matters.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Of course, we will appeal this ruling as soon as possible,&#8221; David Rowland, owner of Rowland Interests, said.</p><p>Carmen Ambrosino of Carmen Ambrosino LLC, who testified on behalf of Rowland during a previous hearing, questioned the designation of the property as agricultural.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think anyone can use the facilities to raise cows,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Ambrosino believes that communities need to provide opportunities for those with addictions to seek help.</p><p>He said in doing initial research about the project he contacted police chiefs from Wilkes-Barre Township, Kingston and Waverly, the location of major drug treatment facilities.</p><p>&#8220;Each of them said they never had a problem with incidents concerning those facilities,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Ambrosino said he also contacted three school district superintendents from those communities and all said they had never experienced any problems concerning treatment centers.</p><p>&#8220;I initiated school-based programs and I was able to do it because people respected me and knew my commitment to young people,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I would never support anything that would endanger children or any members of the community.&#8221;</p><p>He said, should Rowland succeed on appeal, the facility would be run by a partner agency and would be certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).</p><p>Gelso said a written decision would be provided by the end of the week and that supporting legal documentation would be available within 45 days.</p><br>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons

Dallas Township Zoning Board shoots down addiction treatment facility