The Planning Board voted 6-0 at its Jan. 28 meeting to reject a site plan application that would have brought a crisis stabilization center to the Carmel Hamlet.
The 24/7 peer-run stabilization centers are run by People USA and are designed to provide immediate, voluntary, trauma-informed support for individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises.
The proposal proved controversial, with area residents expressing concern that the facility would attract an unsavory element to the community. Homeowners from The Retreat at Carmel, a 55-and-over community adjacent to the proposed site on Stoneleigh Ave. near the intersection with Route 6, were particularly vocal in their opposition to the plan.
While opponents said they appreciate the need for stabilization centers and the work People USA does, they maintained that the proposed location was inappropriate and noted that the small hamlet is already home to Arms Acres, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with inpatient treatment; CoveCare Center, a substance abuse and mental health treatment facility; and the county jail.
Planning Board Chair Craig Paeprer said the board did not take its decision lightly.
“We spent a lot of effort and time analyzing this,” he told Mahopac News. “We don’t normally go to a vote on most site plans, but with a project of this size, we went to a vote.”
Paeprer called the decision “in the best interest of the people,” and said pressure from opponents of the stabilization center was not a factor.
“You listen, but you don’t necessarily let it affect you,” he said. “What was mentioned most was the location, and we felt it wasn’t well-vetted. There were other locations in Carmel. I know they looked at other communities, but they came to us with only one location. We think there could have been more suitable options.”
Paeprer said the board was also concerned about the impact the center could have on police and emergency services.
“They did a study," he said of the applicant. "But you don’t really know until it happens. Every community is different.
“I believe everyone felt the need is there [for a stabilization center], but there are better locations in the town of Carmel,” he continued. “We appreciate the mission, but not the location.”
The county had partnered with People USA to bring a stabilization center to Putnam and $2.5 million in seed money provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) — federal COVID-19 relief funding — had been allocated to cover the agency’s costs for the first two years.
County Executive Kevin Byrne said he respects the Planning Board’s decision, noting that community support is critical to the success of any project.
He said the county remains deeply aware of the mental health challenges facing residents and families, but that the ARPA funds will now have to be reallocated.
“With respect to the American Rescue Plan Act federal funding originally dedicated for this project prior to my taking office in 2022, my administration will work with the Legislature to ensure these public dollars are used responsibly for pre-approved ARPA projects,” Byrne said. “We will ensure full compliance with federal standards for the benefit of Putnam County and to ensure these dollars are not wasted or returned to the U.S. Treasury.”
Byrne said the county has until the end of the year to identify another ARPA-approved use for the funding.
“We need to work with our partners to find a way to reappropriate the funding; we don’t want to waste or lose this money,” he said. “Legislative engagement is required. It is important that we work together so the money doesn’t get lost in D.C. We will free up resources to help mental health in other ways. There are other ways to expand services.”
Steve Miccio, CEO of People USA, told Mahopac News he was frustrated by the Planning Board’s decision, saying it was based on fear and misinformation rather than on facts or code requirements.
“The stabilization center is not a threat. The community deserves better,” he said.
Miccio said the board’s decision “will slow us down, but it will not stop us,” and that he may consider legal action by filing an Article 78 lawsuit.
An Article 78 proceeding is a lawsuit that challenges decisions, actions or inaction by state or local government agencies and boards.
“We are definitely looking into that,” Miccio said. “If we now go looking for another place, this [rejection] will be on our record. So we will have to fight this in another way.”
Calls to People USA attorney Rebecca Valk were not returned by press time.
Miccio said Planning Board members had been invited on several occasions to visit the stabilization center in Poughkeepsie to see how it operates, but the offers were declined.
He said many people have difficulty understanding what a stabilization center actually does, which can lead to misplaced fear.
“People hear what they want to hear. It becomes a precedent now,” he said. “It is amazing how people react to things like this. I’ve done this in other parts of the country and gotten approvals, and then people later apologize and say they didn’t realize how beneficial it would be for the community. Carmel is really missing out.”
Miccio said that during public hearings, some residents expressed concern about people in crisis congregating in nearby shopping plazas or sleeping in front of Starbucks. He said the irony is that a stabilization center would help address those issues.
He also responded to concerns that the hamlet already has too many agencies dealing with mental health and substance abuse.
“When you have a service-rich environment, you get better service,” Miccio said. “We would have been the hub to get people to those services. We were building a corridor for them to be served quicker and better.”
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