Frankford is still waiting
for a town hall meeting

By KatieRose Keenan
Times Staff Writer

Frankford Civic Association members and board members are still trying to prevent the Wedge Medical Treatment Center from opening on Frankford Avenue.
During their Nov. 6 meeting, they complained that City Council and the Office of Addiction Services, a division of the city’s Department of Behavioral Health & Mental Retardation Services, have not scheduled a town hall meeting, which civic group members say they were promised, to discuss the issue of Wedge and other treatment centers in Frankford, as well as so-called "recovery houses."
Recovery houses serve as residences for ex-addicts who are receiving outpatient treatment at drug and alcohol treatment centers. Recovery houses are usually opened near the treatment center so the patients can have better access to the center.
The problem, however, is that while some recovery houses provide legitimate services, others are in it to make money off patients who reside in them.
Patients typically must turn all welfare checks and other income over to the owner of the recovery house in return for living there. The money is then used to pay for rent and to buy food for those living at the house. As a result some owners spend less money than they claim, therefore pocketing any money left over.
"We were told by (OAS director) Roland Lamb there would a town meeting conducted to discuss the issue of substance abuse treatment center and recovery houses. That was back in the summer and we haven’t heard about it since," said Liz McCollum-Nazario, a civic association board member and president of the Frankford Business and Professional Association.
"I think it’s time that the Office of Addiction Services and City Council came through with that promise."
McCollum-Nazario asked residents for permission to send a letter to Council on behalf of the civic association.
"I think we should let the city know how we feel," said McCollum-Nazario. "I mean how long does it take to figure out what is here and what is not?"
Frankford has been working to prevent drug and alcohol treatment centers, in addition to recovery houses, from popping up in the community since Northeast Treatment Center (NET) opened.
Residents and civic association board members believe substance abuse treatment centers and recovery houses, particularly along Frankford’s business corridor, increase criminal activity and stunt revitalization plans.
"It brings down the quality of life," stated McCollum-Nazario.
At the civic association’s June meeting, Lamb discussed treatment facilities and recovery houses with residents. He also suggested scheduling a town hall meeting to discuss issues and highlight a definite number of recovery houses, in addition to the number of treatment facilities, that are in Frankford. The meeting would also be open to representatives of civic and city agencies.
Currently, there are five substance abuse treatment facilities and hospital programs, including Wedge, in Frankford.
In addition, there is estimated to be more than 50 recovery houses in Frankford
"Frankford is full," said McCollum-Nazario.
The issue of nuisance rooming houses was also brought up in the meeting when two lawyers for Rox Properties spoke at the meeting on behalf of the private owner of a multi-family residence in Frankford.
The landlord, who lives in New York, wants to turn the four-family dwelling into a six-family dwelling.
Currently, only two families live in the building.
As it turns out, the lawyers hadn’t done all of their homework on the residence in question, which is located on Harrison Street.
"Are you aware that the people who live in that building constantly sit on the front steps smoking pot and drinking beer," asked a resident who lives a few doors from the building. "I watch them every day. You want our permission to put six families in there when the landlord can’t even control two?"
Several other residents and board members also provided their own accounts of the building having broken and boarded-up windows, as well as beer bottles and pot baggies being strewn on the front lawn.
The stunned lawyers claim that they had never noticed any of those conditions, but they couldn’t vouch that they weren’t there.
"You are here representing a client who is out of state and doesn’t know or care what goes on at their property?" said civic association board member Pete Specos. "We have been keeping an eye on this building since it was complained about at last month’s meeting."
"We can not give you approval to turn this into a six-family dwelling," said McCollum-Nazario. "The landlord can’t control the tenants he has now. He needs to manage it and take more authority. I drive up this street every day and it’s one of the dilapidated houses in Frankford. If he can’t maintain it as a four-family dwelling, why would we approve it to house six families?" ••
Reporter KatieRose Keenan can be reached at 215-354-3110 or kkeenan@phillynews.com