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031483MINUTES RANDOLPH COUNTY BOARD OF COMII18SIONERS March 14, 1983 The County Commissioners met in special session for the purpose of discussing proposed Willie M. group home sites at 9:00 a.m. on March 14, 1983, in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Administration Building, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina. The following members were present: Bill Boyd, Chairman, Richard Pugh, Richard Petty, Darrell Frye, and Floyd Langley. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bill Boyd. Invocation was given by Rev. Jim McClure of First Assembly. Chairman Bill Boyd turned over the meeting to Rob Roberts, Chairman of the Mental Health Board, who gave a brief summary of the four Willie M. sites proposed by Mental Health officials. 1. Auman Teel House, S. Fayetteville St., 212 acres, 2800 square feet (would need renovations) 2. Elaine Yow Girgis House, Erect Community (Route 1, Seagrove), 10 acres, 5256 square feet (distance from central services, excessive transportation) 3. Ila Flincham House, Route 6, Cedar Falls,''12 acres, 2116 square feet (would need renovations and addition built) 4. Tom Jordan Land, Cedar Falls Road, 10 acres, 100' road frontage; secluded, wooded, rolling land, house to be built in center of lot with buffer zone; purchase price of $20,000 On behalf of the Mental Health Board, Mr. Roberts recommended the Tom Jordan Land as their first choice. Mr. Roberts showed the Commissioners a sample group home model. Darrell Frye asked if the model house is similar to those built in other locations. Mr. Roberts indicated that it would be similar in space (@ 3000 square feet), cost, etc., because all homes are built for a maximum of six children. Floyd Langley asked about the cost of building; Mr. Roberts approximated $35 S/F. Bill Boyd noted (in reference to the perk test on the Jordan property) that only one house could be built on the 10 acres. Mr. Roberts added that general statutes prevent another group home within 2 mile radius. Richard Petty asked what the buffer zone would consist of. Mr. Roberts said there would be woods and open space, but no fence. Floyd Langley asked if Mental Health would hire an architect. Mr. Roberts said they would. Chairman Boyd opened the floor for citizen.comments and questions concerning the Tom Jordan site or the program in general. Mr. Reginald Womble of the Winningham Farms Development presented to the Commissioners a petition signed by residents in that. area opposing the Jordan site as a Willie M. group home. Mr. Womble stated that his development has a unique situation of many parents working on different shifts and of single parents having to leave their children alone. They feel they cannot safely leave their children if the Willie M. group home comes into their neighborhood. They already have a garage owned by Carolina Power and Light Company next to their develop- ment and there is a junkyard right up the road. He said some other community should share the burden. He added that residents feared their property value would go down if the group home were built there. The following residents of the Cedar Falls area also spoke in opposition of the group home in their area: Melvin Marley, Danny Minutes Randolph County Board of Commissioners March 14, 1983 Page 2 Graves, Herbert Butler, Stanley Dennison, Juanita Butler, David Miller, Bill Carter, Sue Cain, Opal Saunders, Annette Owens, Juanita Laughlin, Jo Carter, Yvonne Brown, John Snyder, and Bob Morris. Joseph Bell of Winningham Farms spoke in favor of putting the home on the Jordan property. Bill Boyd read a letter from Addie and Leo Luther of Asheboro supporting the Jordan site. Nona Huggett, a surrogate grandmother of the Willie M. children at Caveness School, and Karen Stevens, a Willie M. teacher at Caveness School, spoke in support of the program and of providing a group home as quickly as possible. Barbara Arnold, speaking on behalf of the Randolph County Juvenile Task Force, presented a resolution passed by the Juvenile Task Force supporting the proposed sites and the program itself. Doug Jackson, Director of the Willie M. program, spoke several times to clarify issues of discussion. Katy Vuncannon, Director of Mental Health, answered several questions from citizens and Commissioners. Rob Roberts, Chairman of the Mental Health Board, also responded to issues raised by citizens present. Darrell Frye commented that this meeting was part of due process; no other area in the state with a group home had solicited any citizen input. Richard Petty stated that the State will put the home in anyway if the Commissioners don't make a decision. Floyd Langley added that, while it bothers him to have government force things on citizens, if the Board doesn't make a decision, they will have no control of the program. He said that he had come to the conclusion that there will not be a site in Randolph County that does not present some opposition to a group home. On motion of Richard Pugh, seconded by Richard Petty, the Board of Commissioners uannimously opposed the Tom Jordan property for a Willie M. group home. The Board held a brief discussion on alternatives to the other three proposed sites. On motion of Richard Petty, seconded by Richard Pugh, the Board of Commissioners unanimously voted not to consider the other three proposed sites, but to ask Mental Health to come back to the Commissioners with property sites only on which a house could be built. Rob Roberts asked to be allowed to clarify two points: Mental Health cannot handle excessive property; 10 to 15 acres is probably the limit. In speaking of educating the public earlier, he did not mean that the people were ignorant. He was referring to educating intelligent people as to the different perspectives.and limitations Mental Health is working under. In other business, the Board discussed changing the date of the auction of County surplus property, which had earlier been scheduled for April 2, 1983 (Easter Saturday). On motion of Bill Boyd, seconded by Richard Petty, the Board unanimously voted to move the auction date to April 9, 1983. On motion of Richard Pugh, seconded by Floyd Langley, the Board unanimously voted to adjourn.