Sober Houses

Another e-mail from Barbara Nugent, this one's a little disturbing:

Good Morning Everyone,

This is to let you know that Rescue Murrieta is alive and well, and that we are continuing to be active in the community. We will soon have a new website and I will let you know when that is up and running. Several issues have come up during the past few weeks, and I will be going over these today.

First let me say that the item on the Planning Commission meeting tonight regarding a change to alcohol sales near schools, etc. has been postponed.

Also, the sober house issue will not be an agenda item at the July 19th Council meeting due to an error in public noticing, but concerned citizens will speak during the Public Comments section if you would like to join in that or be present to show your support. More on that follows.

Sober Homes in local neighborhoods.
First of all, those of you who live near the Nutmeg and Jackson corner need to be aware that there is a sober living home in that area.
This home was purchased last October ($519,000) by an owner who lives in Orange County. This sober living home is located on Via Diamante and is 2/10 of a mile from E. H. Curren Elementery School (on Jackson); 2/10 of a mile from a city park (corner of Nutmeg and Jackson) and within 1 mile of Tovashal Elementery School on St. Raphael as well as within 500 ft of homes in The Colony, a senior living community. The proximity to these locations and the nature of the residents that could be living in that sober home makes it imperative that citizens voice their concerns.

On June 22 I attended a meeting in Antelope Run, and the purpose of the meeting was to discuss that sober home. The residents had called Code Enforcement due to the large number of cars parked on the street, unregistered vehicles, a man sleeping in a parked vehicle in front of that house, and the number of people seeming to live in the home. They found out that a sober home could house a variety of individuals, from recovering alcoholics and drug users to parolees, sex offenders and convicted felons. It seems the courts use such homes to house individuals who have drug/alcohol related offenses, often because the jails are overcrowded.

Code Enforcement did go to the home, verified multiple residents, and cited the non-resident owner for violation of local codes regarding operating a group home of this nature with over 6 residents without the proper permit. Such use requires a Conditional Use permit from the city that must be approved, and this process includes a hearing before the Planning Commission which is open to public discussion. It also requires that people living within a 500 foot radius of this type of home must be notified, and that would include many Colony residents.

At the first meeting it was decided that residents would write our Councilmen, City Manger, District Supervisor Jeff Stone and Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth. This was the first notice that our City government and City Council members had that such a home was operating in that area. Those contacts were made and were successful to the extent that our City Manager and councilmen have now been researching these types of homes in communities and seeing what can be done about them. Through research we have learned many other cities across the country have been fighting these homes popping up in residential neighborhoods, some with more success than others. We have also identified city ordinances, etc. that are not being enforced to close down this sober living home as the owners have not been in compliance with any of these, and to date, have not filed the proper paperwork for a business license in a single-family neighborhood or the request for a conditional use permit.

At the second meeting, guests were Tom Rogers from Senator Hollingsworth's office, Councilmen Rick Gibbs and Doug McAllister and Gary Thomasian from the Planning Commission. Each spoke briefly at the meeting and assured residents they had the support of the city in their efforts to rid their neighborhood of the sober house. However, we learned that the owner had notified the city that they were reducing the number of residents to 6 (the city verified there are still over 8 living there), and that would put them in a safe zone, they could operate without applying for a conditional use permit, but they would still need a business permit. The City is now addressing that issue and the residents are continuing their efforts to gather information to support the removal of that use in their neighborhood and are working with Richard Ackerman, a local attorney.

We also learned that incidents of crime have risen sharply in the area. There have been 3 burglaries, a large pumpkin was thrown through the window of a residence, a dog of one of the nearby residents was found dead and skinned in the roadway; obscenities have been shouted to residents when cautioning residents of that home to slow down on the street; and the residents have endured threatening behavior from a few of the residents of the home. Residents of the home have knocked on the doors of homeowners, one at 1 a.m. in the morning where he was told to leave, and that is the home where the pumpkin was tossed through a window the next day. Homeowners are now becoming intimidated and worry about who they will find outside their home when and if they answer a knock or a doorbell.

The residents of Antelope Run are activating their Homeowner Association and officers have been selected that represent all sections of this small neighborhood. Visit their website at http://www.safemurrieta.org/. An interesting note is that the basic Homeowner Association CCRs cover that area, all of the Colony, and other areas along California Oaks.

Our City Council met in an emergency meeting and adopted a resolution putting a moratorium on all sober living homes in our area with over 6 residents, but this meeting and a second such meeting have not resolved the problems with the sober home on Via Diamante. A parole officer who spoke at one of the meetings told us that the courts are using these homes rather than jails more and more. He has visited such homes and stated they do include felons, parolees, and recovering alcohol and drug addicts. For the most part, the homes may operate without incidence, however, recently a resident of a group home in Riverside was convicted of raping a murdering a young pregnant mother in Riverside. You never know when something like this can happen. We do not want it to happen in Murrieta and we must work together to see what options we have to close this one down and prevent others from popping up. By the way, there is another such home in Murrieta, but the address was not published on the site where I found the name.

Look around your neighborhoods. If you see many cars being parked in an area, several residents living in one home, etc. you could have the same situation. These homes are popping up in expensive neighborhoods in Malibu, Pasadena, etc. No neighborhood is immune from the quiet invasion, this is a very profitable business and when parolees and felons are placed in these homes the state and county may pay fees from $1400 a month or more for each resident to live in a very nice neighborhood, have three meals a day, have their rooms taken care of, enjoy backyard pools, etc. This lucrative business can result in monthly incomes of $20,000 or more, at the expense of citizens who are sacrificing to buy homes in safe neighborhoods for their families and then are shocked to find out something like this can happen so easily to disrupt that safe environment.

Please support the citizens living in Antelope Run on this issue. We will be handing out flyers at supermarkets to make people aware that this is happening in Murrieta, we will be speaking at Council meetings, etc. We need everyone to help, so please call to volunteer. If you can help this weekend, let me know as I will be doing the scheduling.

Equestrian Trails in Murrieta area
On a more positive note, we are also working on ensuring that the rural equestrian aura of this area is protected. The City has an ordinance that states the goal of protecting our equestrian and agricultural heritage, and we are working to make sure that happens. The County Board of Supervisors is working to ensure that is happening throughout Riverside County, but right now, the person handling the Trails issue for our district does not have the background or the passion to make sure that the trails that have been identified are kept intact, that the development community is aware of the areas and protects them when building new tracts, etc. We have several people in the Murrieta area who are passionate and knowledgeable on this issue, one is Lyn Mattox who is working on GPS plotting of all our local trails including those in Menifee, Wildomar, etc. I have written Jeff Stone to ask that Lyn be appointed to represent our area and work with our City management team to protect the equestrian trails in this area, and it would be wonderful if all of you joined in this effort. Raising horses in this area has long been a tradition in Murrieta, along with preserving historic buildings, etc., we also need to preserve the industries that have been part of our local history. You do not need to be a horse owner to become involved - we need to work on many different areas to make Murrieta the true gem of the valley, and by keeping part of our rural heritage alive we can do that. If you have any questions or want to volunteer your help and support for this issue, call me.

Upcoming events......
School Board election this year
City Council election 2006
Perhaps ....... an effort to preserve the rural area along Los Alamos (east side of the 215), the hogbacks and other historic aspects there.


Questions? Call me. Barbara Nugent 677-2430