SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — Ada County commissioners will decide Thursday night whether Icarus Behavioral Health, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in a South Boise neighborhood, can double the number of patients it houses.
Currently, the facility operates with eight residents and is protected under the federal Fair Housing Act, according to Ada County Planning and Zoning. A conditional use permit would allow it to expand to 16 residents — the maximum allowed under county code.
“We just don’t feel it’s appropriate to have a medical facility operating in a residential neighborhood,” said Rusty O’Leary, who has lived in the neighborhood for 38 years.
WATCH: Hear from neighbors ahead of Thursday's meeting
O’Leary said the opposition from neighbors is not about the people seeking treatment.
“Our concerns are not about the potential residents in this facility, we have no particular bias or concerns in that direction. In fact, many of us in the neighborhood are in recovery ourselves,” said O'Leary.
Some neighbors say the expansion would change the character of the neighborhood.
“This is a business in a neighborhood — they don’t want their residents to have anything to do with the people who are around them, and the people who are around them probably don’t want to be interacting with them. It’s not a neighbor situation,” said Tom Franks, who lives nearby.
Franks argues there are more appropriate areas in Boise for rehabilitation centers.
“There should be such facilities, and there are zones for such facilities, and these people should play within the rules and follow zoning,” said Franks. “Find something that is appropriate — there are others in the Boise area which exist for that purpose and it’s not a problem — there’s a place for them... Not in a residential neighborhood.”
Idaho News 6 reached out to Icarus Behavioral Health for an interview and to address some of the concerns shared by neighbors. Our questions were passed along, but we did not receive a response from the company after multiple phone calls.
According to the company’s website, the facility focuses on mental health and substance abuse treatment, with 24/7 on-site care from therapists.
Planning and zoning staff have recommended commissioners approve the permit. The county has also received dozens of letters from residents urging them to deny it.
The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, September 25th at the Ada County Courthouse.
