Nov. 12--BRISTOL, Tenn. -- In separate appearances with the Bristol Herald Courier editorial board, leaders of the YWCA of Bristol and Haven of Rest gave conflicting views this week on whether they can resolve differences over Haven's desire to build a Second Street residential facility-spiritual treatment center for people battling

addictions near the YWCA's State Street building.

YWCA executive director Kathy Waugh said her group's strong opposition to Haven of Rest's proposal would remain as long as the latter intended "to have people with addictions" in the Second Street facility.

Waugh said the YWCA's objections are lengthy and legitimate, including concerns that its children's playground would effectively be next to the proposed treatment center.

"We just feel it's not good planning for a residential facility with individuals with addictions to be located next to a licensed child-care program," Waugh said.

But Haven of Rest Executive Director Wayne Sheridan said his group has changed its original plan to house men at the Second Street building and now intends to use the new facility as an 18-bed home for women. The proposed 20-bed men's home, intended to replace the program's current 12-bed home on Anderson Street, would be built on another site.

Sheridan said the "No. 1 reason" for that change was to address the YWCA's concerns about having addiction-battling men so close to its building -- and he expressed confidence that a women's residential facility would be a "win-win" situation for both organizations.

"The kind of women we want to help are the same type that [the YWCA] could help, too," Sheridan said, pointing to the YWCA's extensive computer and life-skills courses.

On Monday, Bristol's Planning Commission will vote on Haven of Rest's request to receive a special-use permit for the Second Street property, which is just under four-tenths of an acre. If the Planning Commission gives its recommendation, Haven of Rest would then need final approval from the City Council to build the residential facility-treatment center.

Waugh, accompanied by four YWCA board members during a Tuesday editorial-board session, said Haven of Rest failed to address major concerns about how it would conduct screening and background checks on people seeking to live in the home and receive treatment.

She also said Haven of Rest officials provided no real assurances it could keep the facility adequately secured and staffed -- or stop residents who wanted to leave the voluntary treatment program from simply wandering away.

"We have not been able to come to an acceptable resolution," Waugh said. "We feel this proposal has been rushed and thrust upon us."

YWCA board member Janet Smith echoed Waugh's complaint about security issues. "We feel very protective of these children we serve," Smith said. "We feel a real duty to keep our clientele safe, and we're very concerned."

But Sheridan said the home's treatment program would not involve any drug or psychological therapy, focusing instead on "Biblical-based" teaching, counseling sessions, daily work and strict guidelines, including a ban on cigarettes, cell phones, night-time departures and unapproved visitors. He added that Haven of Rest would actively fingerprint everyone in the residential home, and aggressively step up all of its screening and background checks. He also said the program would not accept anyone convicted of violent or sex offenses.

"We've not tried to hide anything," Sheridan said.

He noted that Haven of Rest had for three years publicized its efforts to build a residential facility-treatment center in group newsletters -- and had been raising money that long for the project.

Sheridan was Haven of Rest's sole representative during a Wednesday editorial-board meeting.

Both Waugh and Sheridan did agree, however, that financial issues played some role in their groups' positions on the residential facility.

Waugh said the YWCA is worried that parents might fear having their children near an addiction-fighting facility and pull them out of child-based programs, which generate about 70 percent of the YWCA's revenue.

"That is a huge concern for us," Waugh said.

Sheridan, meanwhile, said Haven of Rest was about to receive a $500,000 grant from a federal home loan bank for its Second Street women's facility, and the money would be yanked if Haven of Rest didn't build it on that exact land.

Because the grant money would be added to $700,000 privately raised by Haven of Rest to build both of the facilities, Sheridan said, Bristol clearly risks losing a $1.2 million investment.

"The city will not only lose out on money, but the construction jobs this would create and the additional people we'd hire as staff," Sheridan said.

| (276) 645-2512

To see more of the Bristol Herald Courier or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tricities.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Bristol Herald Courier, Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.