Despite opposition from neighbors, the Westminster Rescue Mission is moving forward with the opening of a recovery house for women and their children in a Westminster neighborhood.
The Westminster Rescue Mission plans to open the facility at 35 N. Tannery Road, an 11.59-acre property that includes a 2,525-square-foot house built in 1975.
Stephanie Halley, chief executive officer with the rescue mission, said in an interview that the organization is moving ahead with the purchase of the property. An inspection has been completed, and the group hopes to settle on the property within weeks. The goal is to start operations in June, though it will be several months before women and children move in as renovations to the house need to be made, she said.
Halley said though the Board of Carroll County Commissioners held an informational hearing Jan. 16, during which Westminster neighbors urged the board not to allow the recovery house to open, the decision on whether to move ahead with the projects lies with the rescue mission.
“The commissioners don’t have a say,” she said. “They do not approve the location. But because the money [for the recovery house] comes from the state through the county, in order to be transparent, it was a chance for people to provide feedback. Truthfully, it’s not a bad process. We didn’t want to just buy it and show up next door. We really wanted to be transparent.”
The rescue mission has spent the last year evaluating properties in the county and decided on the Tannery Road location. Last year, the county was awarded a $1.75 million grant for the recovery home, which would be used to house several women dealing with addiction and help them reunite with their children.
District 5 Commissioner Ed Rothstein has been vocal in his support of the women’s recovery house, and efforts by all nonprofits in the county that tackle the issue of drug addiction head on.
“First and foremost, I am proud of the Westminster Rescue Mission, along with other community service nonprofits in Carroll County that are supportive of these major concerns in the community,” he said.
Rothstein said the epidemic of drug addiction knows no boundaries.
“People have asked me, do I want this in my backyard?” he said. “Absolutely. Whatever I can do to support my community I want to do. The one thing I learned as commander at Fort Meade is that you can’t put your head in the sand.”
But residents living near and around the Tannery Road location have said that the sober house is not welcome there.
In addition to concerns raised about increased traffic on the single-lane gravel driveway off Tannery Road and a water supply for neighboring homes that is lacking, neighbors say they worry for the safety of their families.
“My job is to keep [my children] safe because they are at a vulnerable teenage age when they’re exposed to drugs and alcohol everywhere, including public schools here in Carroll County,” said Signe Pringle, a resident of Kelly’s Court in Westminster.
“It’s my job to make sure I limit that exposure, and by proposing to have this location on Tannery Road, I fear for our safety and exposure to drugs and alcohol just by thinking about the possibility,” she said.
Craig Mott, a father of six who lives on a neighboring property, said that he has lost members on both sides of his family to addiction, and doesn’t want his kids to see what it looks like.
“It’s a beautiful place. It would be great for recovery, but I don’t want it as a neighbor,” he said. “I sympathize with the rescue mission and their purpose. I’m empathetic to their cause. I don’t want it as a next-door neighbor for my six children. I’ve seen the ugly side of it.”
Mott referenced statistics shared by Halley during an open meeting in April 2023, highlighting the need for improved rehabilitation services in the county. Halley informed commissioners that 67.2% of overdose deaths in 2023 occurred among individuals who had accessed services within a year of their death, while 48% of deaths involved those who had received some form of treatment within 30 days of their death.
Halley said she understands the neighbors’ concerns but hopes to win them over.
“We know how the folks are feeling, and we want to be a good neighbor,” she said. “Our job is to be good neighbor. I really don’t have ill will, resentment or frustration with the neighbors. I hope everyone can take a breath and there can be healing.”
Meanwhile, those in the field of addiction recovery offered support for the sober home at the informational hearing held by commissioners.
Tim Weber, founder of one of Carroll County’s longest-running sober home nonprofits, Weber Sober Homes, commented on his experience.
“Just like in any home, things can go on, but with a well-run recovery residence —you don’t even know that they’re there,” he said. “They’re community members. I mean, the guys in our houses through the years have helped the neighbors and have done many things for the community.”
Bruce Grimm lived next door to a Weber Sober Home in Westminster from 2009 until two months ago. In that 15-year span, Grimm never saw a single ambulance outside the home, and on the rare occasion a police cruiser stopped by, it was only to drop off a new resident.
Grimm said he understood the initial fears expressed by neighbors of the proposed home.
“I had the same thoughts at first, to be honest with you, but they are nothing but the best neighbors,” he said. “They’ve got more rules than you can imagine, and I’ve had nothing but good neighbors. They’re quiet and they don’t bother anybody.”
Grimm said his neighbors at the sober home assisted him with countless tasks around his house, including lifting heavy furniture or equipment and even repairing the roof of his shed.
“You know, if you need help, you go over, knock on the door and a couple of guys jump out and help. It’s been nothing but positive,” he said.
Jimmy Gast, who oversees the HOFFA House for the HOFFA Foundation nonprofit, also spoke in support. The HOFFA House, a recovery residence for men, opened in 2021.
A neighbor of the HOFFA House, who asked not to be named, said Gast and other foundation staff have always been transparent about their rules and procedures. The neighbor shared that he and residents of the sober home take turns mowing each other’s lawns, and he has never witnessed a resident being removed for breaking a rule.
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