Jefferson Health made a “business decision” to sell its property at 225 Newtown Road in Warminster and maintains that Avenues Recovery Center LLC will be “good for the community” and will “meet the community’s needs” as a 150-bed inpatient facility.
That was the testimony of Beth Duffy, senior vice president of administrative services with Jefferson, at Tuesday’s Warminster Zoning Hearing Board meeting. She added that Jefferson would have no oversight over Avenues once the sale is complete.
This was the first time the Jefferson official testified in the now five-month-long zoning hearing. Avenues is appealing an Aug. 30 interpretation of whether the proposed center constitutes a “hospital campus” or a “sober living facility.” Its plan also requires a special exception to the zoning code that would allow for the extension of an existing nonconforming use, and a variance to permit the facility in one of Warminster’s residential zones.
The hearing was continued to June 12 when more witnesses may be called and the public may be able to speak.
Duffy provided testimony that outlined with more specifics how to get licensure for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
There is a 10-question form that must be completed. Examples include “Have you ever held a license in PA?”; “Do you have a board and who is on it?” and “Have there been any criminal charges against your company?”.
If the applicant is approved after completing the 10-question questionnaire, then this would trigger the opportunity to apply for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation license.
Then, there would be an on-site survey review where the team would review many documents, including employee files, policies and procedures and patient plans. If the applicant is approved, they would be issued a License to Operate.
However, this would then be followed by a separate process with providers, including Medicare and Medicaid to get paid for services, she testified.
When asked about the duration of this process, Duffy answered that it could take one year, give or take and that process would begin after the sale.
Duffy testified that Jefferson might be interested in working with Avenues to send its residents and nurses to the facility for education and training purposes. She testified that Jefferson currently does not have any drug and alcohol rehabilitation hospitals within its system.
Jefferson made what Duffy said was a “business decision” to sell the property. The buildings require “upkeep and maintenance” and the entity no longer requires this “asset,” but would like to “retain services in the area,” she said. Jefferson put the property on the market and had two potential buyers, one of them Avenues. Both buyers were drug and alcohol rehabilitation service companies.
Residents came to the meeting hoping to finally be able to speak. Those in attendance received a flier about home prices affecting resale value of homes. Two residents told the Herald they were not against “helping those in need” related to drug and alcohol addiction. But they said that having a facility such as Avenues in a residential neighborhood was “not appropriate” and “not safe for the children” if clients were to leave the facility unattended.
Board member John Magee asked Duffy if Jefferson and Avenues had determined how Jefferson would become involved with training at the site.
Duffy replied that the two parties were in “preliminary discussions,” but that nothing had been decided. When asked if this opportunity was contingent upon the sale, Duffy said “no.”
The next hearing is set for 7 p.m. June 12.
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