Stonewater. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors denied a request from Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center to expand its treatment program.

In April, Stonewater presented an application to the Planning Commission for its consideration for a conditional use permit to build an additional structure for an eight-bed, extended treatment program.

The Planning Commission voted to deny the request. Stonewater appealed that decision to the Board of Supervisors last month; however, the supervisors tabled the request to gather more information, and the item was put back onto the Board’s regular meeting on July 7.

Stonewater offers substance abuse and mental health treatment to adolescent and teenage boys and is located on County Road 362.

Stonewater is asking for the conditional use permit to add eight additional beds in a renovated building to create The Summit Program, which would provide extended treatment for young men who completed their original treatment program and spent 60 to 90 days at the recovery center. They would continue to receive tailored clinical support while also playing a leadership role in mentoring newer patients at the recovery center.

However, the treatment program has had past issues with boys running away from the program, which caused concern among area residents and supervisors. To help combat the problem, in May, Stonewater implemented a program requiring all new residents to wear ankle monitors that track the boys’ location at all times. Stonewater also created two new full-time security positions. Those individuals monitor both security cameras and the angle monitors.

Supervisors suggested allowing four beds and then re-evaluate how the program is working in about six months and also review the number of elopements and whether the new security personnel and monitors were having a positive effect on reducing the escape attempts by the residents.

However, owner Bryan Fikes told the supervisors that the ankle monitors were very expensive and that Stonewater could not afford to continue using them if they were not allowed to create the Summit Program with eight beds.

A motion was made by Supervisor John Morgan to approve the conditional use permit to allow the eight beds for the new program; however, the request was denied with a 3 to 2 vote to deny the motion.