MORGANTOWN — A community meeting intended to address concerns surrounding a recent house purchase in South Park turned into a heated exchange Thursday afternoon as neighbors, city officials and recovery advocates debated housing, zoning, stigma and safety.
The purchase of a house at 201 Waitman St. was finalized this week, and the property is expected to be used as a sober living facility operated by West Virginia Sober Living.
Word of the plan spread quickly via social media and distribution of flyers in the neighborhood. The house sits in the Chancery Hill Historic District bordering Hopecrest, South Park and First Ward.
The meeting at the Morgantown Municipal Building was originally planned as a one-on-one discussion with City Development Services Director Rickie Yeager, but morphed into a public gathering. Leading the charge was South Park community member Lynn Wojcik, who expressed concern about the new residence.
Yeager explained early in the meeting that the session was not a formal public hearing, but the community’s concerns would be heard and accepted.
Shortly afterward, Morgantown police intervened as community members became argumentative and spoke over Yeager.
Justin Wojcik emphasized he was not against sober living homes, but took issue with the housing itself.
Sober-living facilities “are absolutely needed,” he said. “Countless friends have died from addiction, countless have recovered, and some are in the middle. There is just the right way of doing things.”
However, he is also worried about overcrowding. “Three residents might be reasonable, but not eight to 12.”
While the number of residents is one concern, inadequate parking and the home’s location in the neighborhood’s historic district is another for him.
“Are they giving any thoughts to the historic parts of the house?” Wojcik asked.
Others defended the home’s proposed use, including Frankie Tack, a retired service associate professor in mental health and addiction studies.
“We thought we would come and speak in support of the house,” Tack said. “It’s a residential bridge back into full-fledged independent living that can be very overwhelming for some people. This helps them regain stability and structure.”
Tack, a founding board member and former president of the West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences, explained that the house follows level 2 standards under the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, which include 24/7 supervision, peer support, regular drug testing and clear behavioral expectations.
“They’ll be drug-tested every three-to-five days,” she said. “They’ll be supervised, and if someone relapses, they won’t remain in the house and will be sent for treatment elsewhere. This is a house only for people actively working a recovery program.”
The sober living home will be operated by West Virginia Sober Living, which Tack described as “one of the most respected sober living agencies in the state.”
As for legal fulfillment, Yeager read aloud from W.Va. Code 27-17-2, which clearly states that group residential homes are considered permitted uses in all zoning districts, and cannot be subjected to special use permits or additional zoning issues.
“Equal treatment,” Yeager said, citing the Fair Housing Act. “These homes must be treated the same way as any other residential property.”
Tack also added noting that several such facilities exist quietly within South Park already.
“Drive by them yourself,” she said. “They just look like regular homes; do you know why? Because that is the whole philosophy. Recovery happens best in small, home-like settings.”
As the meeting wrapped up, city staff distributed comment forms and encouraged residents to submit their input regarding the future sober living home.
“I think people easily forget about loving your neighbor,” Tack said. “This is not a threat to the neighborhood, but a lifeline for the people in it.”
