The historic Sternberg House at 506 Ferry St. S.W. looked like this on Feb. 17, 2025.
The owners of the historic Sternberg House in downtown Albany have renewed their request for their business, Recovery First LLC, to use the house as a drug and alcohol treatment center.
On Monday, the City of Albany’s planning division posted a notice announcing a May 19 public hearing before the planning commission. The hearing is on an application for a conditional use permit for the planned use of the house at 506 Ferry St. S.W.
The address, catty corner from the grounds of the Linn County Courthouse at Ferry Street and Fifth Avenue, is in the Monteith Historic District.
“This is a resubmittal of a conditional use application that was approved by the Hearings Board on January 9, 2025, but withdrawn by the applicants on February 6, 2025, pending development code amendments,” the planning division’s notice said.
The original appoval by the hearings board (three members of the planning commission) was appealed because it apparently violated the development code, and the applicants withdrew their request. A story trying to explain the situation appeared here in February.
In the historic district, the development code apparently prohibited the conversion of homes to nonresidential uses, such as an outpatient treatment center.
The code has been changed since then, mostly to accommodate demands by the state to allow more housing in existing neighborhoods.
Evidently the changes also included one that now allows a drug and alcohol treatment business in a house that had been a home since it was built in 1868. (hh)
This has been a rehab house for a long time. Let it stay. It’s doing good for the community. This town has already taken away the sr. Center. Leave the good alone
Why don’t these people buy appropriate facilities in the first place? It’s a good business model. Zoning restrictions & covenants are in place for a reason. There is simply no compelling reason to place a drug recovery facility in a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood.
Who do you think becomes addicted in the first place if not reaidents?
What does that have to do with zoning?
What’s asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. What is the compelling public good served by segregating people? What assumptions are you using?
Well, one who is too cowardly to use your real name. What in the hell are you talking about in your inane rambling? Not that you deserve a response.
This house is a corner property. Two of the other three corner properties are churches, and the third is the county courthouse. On the same block on Ferry is an Oxford House. This property looks like it is in a transition area of residential that would be perfect for the business they proposed. Would they not be required to maintain the exterior historic appearance anyway? I hope it is allowed.