YSB to open new teen group home (10/10/07)

Several young women under the care of a local service agency may not be as lonely.

A local board has given the thumbs up on a zoning request, allowing several troubled teens to live together in a house in Portland.

Members of the Portland Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously voted Tuesday to grant a special exception request to operate a group home at a property, located at 422 W. Race St., currently zoned R-8 residential.

Youth Service Bureau will operate the group home.

Stanley and Victoria Gamble are the current owners of the property.

Yvonne Duff, case manager/counselor for the YSB, said after the meeting that the girls, ages 16-19, had been living in separate apartments and were lonely. This will be the first small residential group home for YSB.

YSB also has two facilities located at 603 W. Arch St. and 406 W. Arch St., Portland. The not-for-profit agency teaches youths independent living skills and how to establish relationships with others. The amount of youths cared for by YSB varies.

Five to seven girls are expected to live in the Race Street home.

Before BZA members voted, Reda Theurer-Miller, chief executive officer of YSB, explained the project to board members and answered a few questions.

Board member Vicki Tague asked how many vehicles would be parked at the house at one time. Theurer-Miller said up to five could fit in the driveway, but there likely will only be one staff member present at a time, and the girls are not allowed to have cars.

Theurer-Miller said the teen-agers will be employed and enrolled in either a GED program, Jay County High School or the John Jay Center for Learning. Those who live there are in situations which either do not allow them to return home or it would not be beneficial for them to do so. Teens are referred to YSB due to neglect/abuse, family problems or for committing delinquent acts, such as running away from home.

Theurer-Miller told the board that a neighboring property owner wondered if the property would revert back to being R-8 once it is sold. City attorney Bill Hinkle said it would.

Victoria Gamble, the current owner of the property, told the board that when she and her husband were asked by the YSB to sell the house, they were thrilled. "When we moved in, we prayed that it would be a place of refuge. We're proud and honored that our home would be (for) such use as this."

Bill Milligan, Jay/Portland Building and Planning administrator, said he has received no complaints from neighboring property owners about the special exception request. No one in the audience spoke against the request.[[In-content Ad]]