Disclosure: Jagielo is a former resident of Bayard Park and knows several of the residents
NOW Counseling owner Jordan Milby is in the hot seat at a Bellemeade-Bayard Park Neighborhood Association Meeting in March.
Association President Stephanie Gibson is trying to maintain order as multiple questions are lobbed at him at once.
“One at a time” she calls, clapping her hands over the din.
Milby is trying to answer questions and concerns over the three properties he owns in the historic neighborhood. They have recently been converted from single family homes to group recovery homes.
“Hang on, hang on. Hang on guys,” he said, his voice nearly lost among the barrage of questions. “I'm not here to fight with anybody. I'm here to help, 100-percent.”
Up to 11 individuals live in his homes short-term, who are recovering from substance abuse disorders.
“The goal of recovery residences is to provide a safe place for people to have safe housing while they're participating in their recovery,” Milby said.
One problem is that these single family homes are zoned for five non-family members, not 10 or 11.
Shona Jarboe is leader of the neighborhood’s recovery home task force and lives directly across one of the homes.
“This is a great neighborhood for recovery residents because we're vigilant, and because we're watchful and involved neighbors," she said. "And a few short days later, they found out that that's true. And they don't like it.”
Milby converted the homes prior to rezoning, and admits he's not very familiar with local ordinances. He also had the homes in his name personally.
There are concerns beyond some unfiled paperwork. Overall, they’re trying to make sure these homes are run correctly and legally.
“We would just like it to slow down and we would like it to be very, very carefully inspected before they move forward into setting precedence on these properties,” Jarboe said.
NOW Counselling has about 10 properties across the city. There are 26 similar recovery homes in the city of Evansville, and nearly 200 in the state.
The association has taken to speaking out at Zoning Board of Appeals and City Council meetings.
“A lot of these people are coming here from out of state; they're not from Indiana, they're not necessarily even Evansville people,” said realtor and resident Angela Bullock after a city council meeting. “We've got one who’s a child sex predator that is from Ohio.”
Ward Four Council Member Alex Burton is addressing the group of neighbors about the homes, doing little to assuage resident concerns. He is trying to strike a balance between aiding the neighborhood and aiding someone's recovery.
“I will say that I, in good faith, do not want to put someone who has struggled with addiction back into the streets without any support,” he said.
There are concerns over the way the home operates. There’s no 24-hour staffing. Residents use a key fob to enter the home and it’s under video surveillance.
Neighbors are also worried about safety for nearby residents and property values. Jarboe said there haven’t been major incidents, just a door being left open, and a messy streetside brake job resulting in brake fluid on the street.
These homes are certified through the Indiana Affiliation of Recovery Residences (INARR) for which Linda Stevens is manager. She said recovery homes, ideally, teach residents how to re-establish themselves.
“(They) learn how to get jobs, how to get insurance, how to take care of their medical needs, how to basic life skills that maybe they've never been exposed to keeping a checkbook, paying bills, keeping a Home maintained and clean,” Stevens said. “I have found that these houses or recovery residences, do not affect the neighborhoods in a negative way.”
Milby said there are outpatient care services and 12-step programs. He suggests that his repairing of formerly vacant homes is good for the neighborhood.
An article published by the National Institutes of Health, cites studies that suggest at worst, a neutral impact. Stevens said overall, homes are safe for neighborhoods and include policies about blending in.
“One of the policies from the national Affiliation of Recovery Residences is the 'good neighbor policy,'” Stevens said.
This can include volunteering and doing public cleanups. But Jarboe said that hasn’t happened here, aside from cleaning and repairing the recovery home.
Milby blames the neighborhood itself for a lack of outward participation.
“I think we've always been willing and able to do those kinds of things,” he said. “But it would require a much different style of communication from the neighborhood.”
Both sides have missed meetings, and blame the other.
Now there are rezoning votes coming to city council May 20 and then June 24. These would rezone properties from R-2 to R-4, bringing them into compliance with how many residents they already have. If passed, Jarboe said more variances would be required on these properties.
“Neither of these properties will be able to comply with the actual requirements should they be zoned R-4 and then we're going to have to come and fight it at that level as well,” she said during a recent public comment at a council meeting.
Milby said he's not certain what he would do with residents should rezoning fail.
These types of homes are likely to increase in numbers. Other properties not owned by NOW Counseling are in development that could place registered sex offenders too close to a school, Jarboe said.
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