Board approves 100-bed substance abuse treatment facility for women

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A drug treatment facility for women was approved by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners on Monday.

The 100-bed center will be co-located with a previously approved 200-bed men’s facility called The Healing Place planned for Medical Center Drive in Wilmington. The women’s facility is an expansion of The Healing Place project.

A New Hanover County government tweet said The Healing Place will be open and serve people for free by 2021.

Last week, New Hanover Board of Commissioners Vice Chairwoman Julia Boseman said she would propose the women’s treatment center at Monday’s commissioners meeting.

“You can go to halfway houses and open meetings and see that there are a lot of women addicted to drugs," said Boseman. "So, if they want to get clean — men or women — I am so happy that in this county in two years they’ll have a place to do that.”

In February, Wilmington City Council listened for four hours to community members who were for and against The Healing Place.

Those opposed included leaders from the Children's Learning Center, which is located in the same area.

It was approved on the condition that a licensed security professional remain on site around the clock.

Also Monday, the Board of Commissioners passed an amendment to fund the demolition and rebuild of the Division of Juvenile Justice facility.

The new three-story facility will be more than twice the size of the current building on North Fourth Street. It is expected to house two courtrooms, clerk of court, community justice services and court counselors.

The project is in response to the Raise the Age law. Beginning Dec. 1, those 18 and under will be prosecuted as juveniles instead of adults with the exception of violent felonies and traffic violations.

Traffic concerns led to a proposed development being pulled from the Board of Commissioners agenda.

Cameron Management and Drypond Partners LLC withdrew their plans for The Timbers at Whiskey Branch, which would have been on South College Road near Monkey Junction.

The development was expected offer 324 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments as well as office and retail space.

“No. 1, their traffic analysis was not completed," said NHC Board of Commissioners Chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr. "So, we didn’t have all the information on the true impact of traffic based on 324 units being put there, and again, I think they got a good sense of the understanding of the community, the concerns of that part of the community that maybe that wasn’t a good fit.”

The New Hanover County Planning Board had previously approved a rezoning request for the Timbers at Whiskey Branch. The developers plan on presenting the proposal again.

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