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The Springfield News-Sun digs into important issues about business developments, including recent stories on downtown housing and new businesses on Bechtle Avenue.
Springfield leaders rejected a Columbus-based mental health group that wanted to open a treatment center in a southside motel.
Access Ohio Mental Health Center of Excellence applied to rezone the 5.4-acre Super 8 motel, 2 W. Leffel Lane, from commercial highway to a residential classification to allow for a residential treatment facility. City commissioners rejected the request last month.
The facility would have brought 50 jobs to Springfield, according to an unsigned letter from Access Ohio. The application does not include what type of treatment would have been provided, according to public documents.
The application was also denied by staff and the City Planning Board, said Springfield Planning, Zoning and Code Administrator Stephen Thompson.
“It’s currently commercial, and we always envision it being commercial, so rezoning it to something residential doesn’t make sense,” Thompson said. “That was the basis for it, and the planning board and the city commission agreed.”
The city also had difficulty reaching Access Ohio about its application, Thompson said. The city had more questions about the application but never received a response, he said. The organization did not attend the city planning board meeting, he said.
“I haven’t heard from them since” the application, Thompson said.
Other Springfield officials, including City Commissioner Kevin O’Neill, contacted Access Ohio but never could reach anyone. Without more information on the type of facility being planned, he couldn’t vote yes, he said.
“Without some answers, I don’t know what they were trying to do there,” O’Neill said. “Staff had no answers for it.”
The Super 8 motel is still for sale, said employee Vina Patel.
Access Ohio, which has two locations in Columbus, provides therapy for several different disorders, including addictions, schizophrenia and depression. Representatives could not be reached for this story.
The city would be interested in discussing further options, but haven’t been in contact with them, Thompson said.
“There’s a huge need right now,” Thompson said. “There would’ve been other locations that would’ve been better, but it was hard to get ahold of the applicant to discuss those options.”
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