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Vigil remembers Phylicia Thomas on 15th anniversary of disappearance

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<p>EXETER TWP. &#8212; Township residents who opposed a residential addiction treatment center in the former Sarah J. Dymond Elementary School got their way Monday night.</p><p>At least for now.</p><p>The Exeter Township Zoning Hearing Board unanimously denied an appeal by Sutton Creek LLC to put the Sutton Creek Center for Change in the former school on Sutton Creek Road.</p><p>The LLC has 30 days to file an appeal of the board&#8217;s decision, which it is expected to do, meaning the battle will now move to Luzerne County Court.</p><p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t say I was surprised (the zoning board) turned us down,&#8221; Sutton Creek attorney Bruce J. Phillips said. &#8220;We always had a feeling that this would be heading to county court.</p><p>&#8220;I think we are legally right. It&#8217;s a commercially zoned property. The assessment record shows that and it was advertised and sold as a commercial property.&#8221;</p><p>Attorney Mark McNealis, who represented a host of area residents, made the argument that the area is zoned R1 and &#8220;convalescent homes&#8221; are prohibited in such an area.</p><p>&#8220;According to Pennsylvania State law, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility fits the criteria for a convalescent home,&#8221; McNealis said.</p><p>Phillips argued that the facility would not be a convalescent home.</p><p>&#8220;It is not a convalescent home,&#8221; Phillips argued. &#8220;It&#8217;s a rehab therapy and treatment center for people with substance abuse problems.&#8221;</p><p>Phillips said it&#8217;s ultimately up to the court to decide whether its residential or commercial zone. Then ultimately if they deem the rehabilitation center fits under a &#8220;convalescent home.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The applicant (Sutton Creek LLC) argued it&#8217;s exclusionary because the service he is proposing isn&#8217;t allowed anywhere in the township,&#8221; McNealis said. &#8220;We said it would be permitted in two of the residential districts and commercial districts in the township, just not in the R1 zoning district he is asking.&#8221;</p><p>McNealis said a lot of residents felt disrespected by Sutton Creek LLC because they wanted to start a business in a rural low-density zoning district that would operate 24/7 and 365 days a year with a large turnaround.</p><p>&#8220;I think everyone would acknowledge that what the applicant is trying to do is laudable and something that we need,&#8221; McNealis noted. &#8220;But we need to find the right place for them. For these folks, they didn&#8217;t feel a residential zoning district was the right place.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dozens of concerned residents against the proposed addiction treatment facility pack the Exeter Township Municipal Building for the township supervisors meeting on Monday.  Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL060518ExeterTwpMtg_7.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dozens of concerned residents against the proposed addiction treatment facility pack the Exeter Township Municipal Building for the township supervisors meeting on Monday.  Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Board denies Exeter Township rehab center plan