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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 06-18 St. John's program plans stir citizens' ire THE REVIEW stir citizens ' ire St. John 's program p :-Na‘..., Hazelwood School purchase costs are about$20 J' By MARY LEE HAGERT children into our schools than I would be about in the 44,000 square foot school would be used the THIS STATEMENT was backed up later by Ma lewood Public Safe Director Richard per square foot. having them live near the treatment center.I the chemical dependency outpatient treatment P ty French was asked if the St.John's staff an- A Apprehensions about a chemical dependency Schaller.In an interview,Schaller said he was ticirenc occupying the building temporarily PP Pe Y have far more fear of them being exposed to program,it was the main focus of neighbors' not aware of his department receiving any program moving into their neighborhood has chemical abuses in the schools,"Briggs stated. concern. complaints about the programs operating in the and then selling it to an industrial company C rekindled citizen opposition to the closing of Later during the meeting O'Brien said, "I They asked about the size and scope of the former Hillside School building. later. y Hazelwood Elementary School in Maplewood. happen to be of the firm conviction that the program. He said,"No,I see this as a good educational Fears about the treatment program operating school board closed the wrong school.I think The neighbors also voiced concerns about building.We plan to use this site to its fullest " in the former school prompted 40 persons to they should have closed Harmony School FRANK HALL, director of St. John's traffic increasing on Hazelwood Street when the extent.I envision long-term use of the building." attend an information meeting sponsored by the because it is better situated to handle the ad- Chemical Dependency Treatment Program, St. John's programs begin operating at the St.John's Hospital staff on June 10. ditional vehicle traffic. Would you consider explained there are presently about 40 to 45 school. HOSPITAL OFFICIALS also mentioned plans The hospital's parent corporation, Health swapping schools?" adults (age 18 and older) in the outpatient Ronald Erickson,2669 Hazelwood St.,said,"I to move their home care program to the school Resources Inc.,is in the process of purchasing Gerald McCarthy, president of Health program.The hospital staff does not expect this live down the street from the school.Will your building.The program is an extension of health the school for$875,000.The school was closed in Resources,replied that his corporation had not number to increase. programs bring in 200 cars daily?You've got care into patients' homes. The care may be June. considered the possibility of purchasing Har- There are 16 youths under age 18 participating 44000 square feet to fill and I'm wondering how given following or instead of hospitalization. The sale of the building depends on the mony School, which is located at the in- in the adolescent program,which is operating in many additional cars this will bring on The services this program provides include hospital receiving a special use permit from the tersection of County Road C and White Bear the former Hillside(District 14B)School at 1709 Hazelwood" home care nurses,a hospice for terminally ill Maplewood city council. Avenue in Maplewood. N.McKnight Road,Maplewood. McCarthy said that if every person drove patients, speech pathologists, occupational Some of the hospital's programs, including 'independently,there could be an increase of 400 therapists, home health aides, physical one for treating chemically dependent out- O'BRIEN THEN pointed out that all the The St.John's staff anticipates more youths cars.But that would be unlikely,he added, therapists and home care counselors. patient adolescents and adults,might be located District 622 school board members are from will enroll in the adolescent treatment program Erickson said he was worried about the The staff also anticipates renting out part of in the school. North St.Paul and Oakdale."It is pretty ob- when it is moved to Hazelwood School. The narrowness and"poor quality"of Hazelwood the school space to other community service vious they don't give a damn about Maplewood. capacity of the program is currently limited Street. organizations. The East Side Youth Service ONE OF THE citizens, Pat O'Brien, 2759 If Maplewood gets its act together and denies because of the cramped quarters at the former Bureau also has expressed an interest in Hazelwood St., told the St. John's officials, the special use permit and tells the school board Hillside School. McCARTHY SAID this was a traffic relocating to the school. "Nobody in this room is concerned about the to keep the school,then what will you do?" The adolescent outpatient program is a joint engineering problem and urged the residents to St.John's does not plan to sell the adjoining people who come to the program and who are McCarthy said his staff was operating on the effort by St.John's Hospital and the North St. discuss the matter with the Maplewood city baseball diamonds.The hospital officials said free of alcohol and drugs.What we are worried assumption that the special use permit would Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District 622. council and its staff. the ball fields will probably be used by local about is how often these people show up at the be granted. Any young persons(regardless of the school In a later interview,Bill Bittner,Maplewood teams.They said the Maplewood Community center unfit and have to be removed.I don't McCarthy emphasized that St.John's officials district they attend) may be accepted to the city engineer,said Hazelwood is classified on the Services Department has expressed an interest want my child to have to confront someone who did not collaborate with the school board on the program if the results of a pre-screening in- city's long-range transportation plan as being a in using Hazelwood School gymnasium and the is under the influence of alcohol or drugs on decision to close Hazelwood School."We only terview show they are appropriate for out- "higher type facility than a normal residential ball diamonds. Hazelwood Street." reacted to the advertisement announcing the patient treatment. street." At the conclusion of the meeting,Eva Tern- Dr.Thomas Briggs,a White Bear Lake family school building was for sale,"he said. Briggs pointed out that persons with"hard- Bittner expects the street will someday be breull,2540 Flandrau St.,told the hospital of- practitioner and medical director of St.John's The purchase of the school is part of St.John's core" drug problems, like heroin addiction, widened,although he pointed out the city has no ficials and the citizens that she was happy to see Chemical Dependency Treatment Program told long range plans to develop a multi-phase office, would not be in the outpatient program.These immediate plans to upgrade it. St.John's Hospital moving to Maplewood and O'Brien that the chances of his child being housing and health complex west of Maplewood persons would be hospitalized and enrolled in One member of the audience asked, "Why liked the idea of having hospital and health exposed to people with drugs"are very remote. Mall. The hospital, presently located at 403 the more structured inpatient program. don't you expand your present facilities on St. services located in the community. When people enter this program they know they Maria Ave.,St.Paul,would be relocated by The St.John's officials reassured the citizens Paul's east side?" "I think we are very fortunate.St.John's is have to abstain from alcohol or drugs.There are 1983-84 on a 19-acre site near the mall. that they had not received complaints about the Gary French,director of health services for going to bring a lot of new jobs into this area," many controls built into the program to make Hazelwood School is situated about a block outpatient adolescent program being located in HRI said,expensive construction costs make it she stated. sure they do this,"he said. south of the proposed hospital construction site. the neighborhood bounded by McKnight Road financially unfeasible to build. He said new "There could have been a lot worse things "I would be more concerned about sending Although less than a quarter of the floor space and Larpenteur Avenue. construction costs are about$45 per square foot. moving into this building."