York County is set to break ground on a 40-million-dollar project to build a modern 58-bed substance abuse treatment and recovery center, as well as a first responder training center. Both will be located on the campus of the current York County Jail.
Attorney Libby’s and Attorney O’Brien’s first objective was to navigate the project around the Town of Alfred’s Zoning Ordinance, which limited the number of substance abuse recovery beds to 30. The treatment center is designed to support 58 beds: 10 long-term care beds for up to 270 days, 16 halfway-house treatment beds for up to 6 months, 16 short-term beds for up to 45 days, and 8 detox beds. The remaining 8 beds are left open for emergency use on an as-needed basis.
Attorney Libby convinced the Planning Board that the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Maine Human Rights Act required the Board to grant a reasonable accommodation to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability. Utilizing prior federal decisions that applied the ADA and Rehabilitation Act to local zoning ordinances, the Alfred Planning Board unanimously concluded that a reasonable accommodation was necessary to supersede the local 30-bed limit and approve the 58-bed facility.
On June 3, 2024, the Alfred Planning Board approved the construction of both the treatment center and training center. Almost all of the funding has been provided to York County through the American Recovery Plan Act. The treatment center will provide state-of-the-art substance abuse services to a critically underserved segment of the population. The first responder training center received the support of local police and fire departments throughout York County and will serve to train the next generation of law enforcement and firefighters.
The firm has been providing legal services to York County and all county agencies (Registry of Deeds, Sheriff’s Office, Probate, Civil Preparedness) since 1996. Attorneys Libby and O’Brien were pleased to shepherd these latest projects to a successful conclusion that will benefit the entire county.