Residents against controversial drug rehab center organize town meeting

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- A deciding vote on a controversial drug rehab center is less than two weeks away.

Neighbors who are against the plans gathered one last time to voice their concerns. Thursday night, dozens of people packed a small room, furious about the proposal to place the facility in an abandoned mansion on Winkler Road near College Parkway.

The debate over the location for the rehab center has been raging for months now.

“We have schools, children,” said Post. “I worked in a rehab center and it is not a good place.”

The proposed facility is also near the Canterbury School.

“They are walking to the school. They have to walk right by this facility to get to where they are going in the mornings,” said John Findley.

“We have got to stop this and this is our last chance,” said Post.

Developer Tom Mouracade has been listening to the arguments against his idea for months and says those who are worried have it all wrong.

“The people that come to us, come to us because they’ve made a decision in their life to seek treatment, to heal from this disease,” said Mouracade. “Anyone who comes to our facility are here because they want to be here, and they want to be well.

The 14,000-square-foot home would hold nearly 90 beds for patients and the permits say they will not accept criminals or sex offenders.

Mouracade tells WINK News, patients would arrive voluntarily and would not be held against their will.

“It’s 24-hour security, but what really needs to be truly understood is that our security is standing with its back to our people and looking out in to the world,” said Mouracade. “Our security team is there to keep the world out of our facility. We are a cocoon within a world. A quiet, peaceful, tranquil, place of healing.”

Mouracade has also set up a website for people to educate themselves on the facility and the program. You can learn more at www.free2recover.org.

Mouracade says he’s confident county commissioners will approve the rezoning request on June 15.