MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown Board of Zoning Appeals has rejected a conditional use variance for a proposed Abundant Life Recovery House on the downtown campus of West Virginia University.
Abundant Life Recovery Housing currently has two operations across the river in Westover, one for women and one for men.
The program is a faith-based program available only to those in recovery who have committed to the recovery process. Participants in the program cannot have violent or sexual offenses in their backgrounds, and they must be employed or pursuing an education.
WVU Vice President and Chief of Staff Erin Newmeyer testified at a recent BZA meeting the proposed location on University Avenue would be among many buildings that are open to the public during the semester. She noted as many as 40 percent of the participants in the program drop out, and those are the situations they’re concerned about.
“For the university, our primary duty is the uncompromising safety of our students, faculty, and staff,” Newmeyer said. “Parents trust us with their impressionable youth.”
Abundant Life Recovery Housing Board of Directors member Ryan Fell testified the institution is missing an opportunity to embrace the land-grant mission. He added that many of these people are already living or working in these areas of the city with no apparent problems.
“I think it is highly hypocritical of people of faith-based organizations in the land grant institution within our state to speak highly of recovery organizations and then turn their cheek when they come into their spaces,” Fell said.
The property would be home to about 30 people in recovery from the recovery process. Newmeyer said the concerns are not related to the recovery activities but to the location the care would be delivered. Residents there are mostly on the “honor system” with no enforcement order if they do relapse or decide to walk off the property.
“Not those who have chosen to do the hard work, to brave this path, and to live with it day in and day out. There is no judgement; there is no question here on behalf of the university,” Newmeyer said. “Our concern is more about that 30 to 40 percent that does not successfully stay on that path.”
WVU Vice President and General Counsel Stephanie Taylor testified the conditional use permit was for a halfway house and not a recovery house. Abundant Life Recovery Housing or another entity in the future could change the scope of operations under the conditional use permit, Taylor said.
“So although they have made the distinction about recovery house versus halfway house, it is granted as a conditional use as a halfway house,” Taylor said. “I think that is important for the particular neighborhood and community that we have here for that purpose.”
Newmeyer said the university would consider partnering with Abundant Life Recovery Housing, but the institution has declined an opportunity to provide any details. Abundant Life Recovery Housing and executive director Matt Johnson has declined comment. The organization could appeal the BZA ruling to Monongalia County Circuit Court.
“I want to be very clear: we do not have a current facility to offer as a swap for the property,” Newmeyer said. “But what we have said is we would be open to having discussions with our real estate team to support in any way that we could.”
NOTE: WVU was not the only organization that spoke in opposition of the plan.