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Their view: The truth about ‘Medicare for all’ proposals

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Lots of questions for Roger Goodell, not a lot of answers

<p>EXETER TWP. &#8212; More than a year after he filed for permission to open a residential addiction treatment center in the rural village of Harding, Dr. Robert Dompkosky is going to get a public hearing, and so will the residents who oppose his plans.</p><p>The Exeter Township Zoning Hearing Board is set to take up the matter Monday, Feb. 11, at 5:45 p.m. in the township&#8217;s municipal building on Route 92. It will be the first time the controversial project is discussed officially, though it has been the topic of much debate &#8212; and rumor &#8212; since last spring when word of the proposal got out.</p><p>It has also been the subject of some legal wrangling over the last six months among lawyers representing the doctor, the township and a group of about 90 concerned residents. Last fall, the three parties filed conflicting claims in Luzerne County Court regarding whether the zoning board&#8217;s action, or inaction, resulted in Dompkosky earning approval for his plans on a technicality.</p><p>The lawyers agreed Jan. 8 to withdraw their complaints from court and return the matter to the township for a public hearing on the merits of the zoning issue.</p><p>That&#8217;s the outcome attorney Mark McNealis, who represents the concerned citizens, has advocated since he took up the case. And it was the citizens&#8217; involvement that made the difference, Dompkosky&#8217;s lawyer, Bruce J. Phillips, said Wednesday.</p><p>&#8220;We were confident in our position that the zoning board&#8217;s inability to hold a timely hearing last year gave my client a deemed approval, but when the citizens intervened to say they would suffer the consequences through no fault of their own, that changed the dynamics,&#8221; Phillips said. &#8220;We reached an agreement to &#8230; expedite the matter rather than battle it out in the courts.&#8221;</p><p>Dompkosky could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but his lawyer said he and his legal team are looking forward to the public hearing and hope the residents who attend will give them a chance to explain their plans.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been at this long enough to know people make up their own minds and get dug in, but we can try to explain exactly what we&#8217;re doing and that we&#8217;ll be in compliance with the law and try and alleviate their fears,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And if there are specific concerns, we will try to address them.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Lawyer: Some support center</strong></p><p>An emergency room physician from Mountain Top, Dompkosky plans to convert the former Sarah J. Dymond Elementary School on Sutton Creek Road to Sutton Creek Center for Change, a private, family-owned 50-bed residential addiction treatment center. The for-profit rehabilitation facility would be similar to Marworth in Waverly, he has said. It would be licensed, staffed 24 hours a day, and regulated by the state.</p><p>Dompkosky first applied to the township for a zoning permit on Jan. 23, 2018, to open what he termed a &#8220;short-term inpatient counseling facility.&#8221; That permit was denied Feb. 7. On Feb. 21, the doctor appealed to the zoning board. In that request, Dompkosky argued his proposed use of the property is permitted because the township&#8217;s zoning codes don&#8217;t specifically exclude residential treatment centers.</p><p>His lawyer, Phillips, reiterated that position this week, and said the proposed rehabilitation center has more community support than the concerned residents suggest.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you that we&#8217;ve heard from a lot of people who think this kind of treatment center is needed, is a good idea, even from some of the neighbors there,&#8221; he said Wednesday. &#8220;They don&#8217;t want it to be known that they support the idea, but some do.&#8221;</p><p>Worries over potential security risks, increased traffic and greater demand on the township&#8217;s modest emergency services have had many Harding residents up in arms since Dompkosky&#8217;s proposal was first circulated in the village. Those residents spoke out at a township supervisors meeting, then organized several grassroots meetings of their own and about 280 of them went on to form the non-profit Exeter Township Citizens Ltd. That group hired McNealis, and its mission statement says it is dedicated to protecting the rural nature of the neighborhood.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dr. Robert Dompkosky, a Mountain Top physician, seeks to open an inpatient addiction treatment center in the former Sarah J. Dymond Elementary School in Harding, seen here. The Exeter Township Zoning Hearing Board will discuss the controversial proposal Feb. 11 now that lawyers from all sides have agreed to withdraw court complaints. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_sara-photo.cmyk-1-1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dr. Robert Dompkosky, a Mountain Top physician, seeks to open an inpatient addiction treatment center in the former Sarah J. Dymond Elementary School in Harding, seen here. The Exeter Township Zoning Hearing Board will discuss the controversial proposal Feb. 11 now that lawyers from all sides have agreed to withdraw court complaints. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Henn</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Exeter Township zoning board to discuss plan for addiction treatment center