Supporting Phoenix House

As immediate neighbors to the proposed Phoenix House in the Lake View Medical Center, we were among the most vehemently opposed and volunteered countless personal hours to fight the “scary monster” that we perceived the Phoenix House to be. We were also among the first to contact and communicate with Phoenix House management, representing one of the two Lake View Terrace community associations.

We soon realized that the sale of the property would not be stopped and since the conditional use permit was issued in 1988 with a much broader program, it was virtually certain that a second permit would be forthcoming. It was then that we became directly involved in negotiating with Phoenix House in making the center as secure and compatible with the neighborhood as humanly possible.

This current management of Phoenix House was extremely professional and made every effort to meet with as many reasonable neighbors as possible. They made every attempt to be accessible to meet with groups in order to correct misconceptions about their operation and try to deal with the area’s concerns. Much was accomplished and great progress was made to provide a safe, secure and attractive facility that would encourage mutual respect between the community and Phoenix House.

Most important, we learned that the reality of the program was unlike the extremes we had imagined. The horrors that others continue to represent are totally inaccurate. Through extensive research, we found there to be no recorded incidents directly associated to Phoenix House or their participants in the general area of any of their locations. We are no longer fearful of Phoenix House; conversely, we are anxious to see the operation become a great success.

Phoenix House’s success is the neighborhood’s gain.

JOYCELYN FURGINSON, Lake View Terrace