Planning Group Rejects Expansion of Facility for Brain-Injured People

Sometimes there's a fine line to walk to find balance between the ideal of compassion and everyday concerns such as public safety and community character.

That was the case in a hearing about the proposed expansion of Hidden Valley Ranch at the July meeting of Ramona Community Planning Group.

The ranch, established in 1991, provides long-term residential care for brain-injured adults such as veterans. It's spread over four locations in Ramona.

The current owner, Kevin O'Connor, is proposing to expand the operation from 16 clients to 52. This would mean adding three residences and a gym — a total of about 23,000 square feet — to the 25-acre property on Highland Valley Road called Stone Mountain.

Some of the neighbors are vehemently opposed. They made their point clear at last week's meeting.

"This is a commercial operation that should not be in a neighborhood," Sandee Salvatore told the planning group. She described residents screaming at times and she said there are unresolved lighting issues.

Jim Salvatore said, "I know these kinds of operations. They buy a small place then fudge on here, fudge on there. The County is after the money and has over-ridden this board many times."

The most dramatic testimony came from a woman who described seeing a bleeding man in her driveway with his glasses tilted.

"I screamed and told my kids to come inside," Melody Mitchell said. "I'm fearful of my safety. I put in a 9-11 call last July."

County Planning and Land Use representative Patrick Brown questioned whether any residents had filed complaints, however, because he found none in the facility's file, he said.

The Hidden Valley Ranch website states that the facility is for people who have "failed other attempts at community re-integration." It also states that Hidden Valley is able to accept individuals with "challenging behaviors including verbal and physical aggression."

O'Connor invited residents to imagine how one of his residents might have tripped and cut himself and skewed his glasses, as a way of explaining the bloodied individual Mitchell saw walking up her driveway. He said there have been no security issues or formal complaints since he took over the ranch in 1992.

O'Connor had a spokesman, Chris Brown, representing him at the meeting. Brown said the facility is licensed through the state and has to meet stringent regulations.

"He's not about money," Brown told the audience about O'Connor. "It's about having beds available for vets and firefighters. There are only 400 beds like this in the whole state. This is a residential care facility that needs to be in a calm environment that's not stimulating."

However residents described an environment in their neighborhood which they say has disturbed their own sense of calm.

"I had an experience in 2008," said Lisa LeFors. "I called the police. Someone was walking in my front door. Then someone else came and said, 'Well, he's good 80 percent of the time.'"

LeFors said she bought her property in 1987 and was told that the facility would house "six or seven people, no more."

"Then they bought the property across the street," she said. "This is a plan of sequential development."

Planning group member Carl Hickman said the traffic issues related to expansion have not been addressed.

"Large-turn vehicles will have to make turns into this property," he said.

A proposed sewer hookup was a stumbling block for some opponents.

"I have a real problem with you hooking up to the sewer," planning group member Chris Anderson told O'Connor.

"We've heard from these people so much," Anderson said. The issue has come before the planning group before.

"The project is way too intensive," she said. Secretary Kristi Mansolf echoed that thought.

Bob Hailey, another planning group member, said, "Unless there's a relevant community interest, deference should be given to the folks who live there."

"Safety is a concern if patients have fear and anxiety and residents do too," Mansolf said.

On the other hand, planning group member Dennis Sprong said, "I'm not for the project because of its size but it's kind of noble work. If that's what we have to do for our troops ..."

Many people in the planning group and audience acknowledged that the project may be headed for approval by the County Planning Commission, regardless of the local vote.

Jim Piva, chairman of the advisory planning group, said, "I can foresee this going through. I would like to see the people in the community have a chance to be able to mitigate the problems. GPS monitoring of people seems like a simple solution. I agree with Dennis — these people need a place to go."

There was a motion to deny the project because "it is not consistent with community character" and also because of "the sewer system that is at 100 percent capacity."

There were eight votes to deny the project and two in support of it. One person abstained and another stepped down. One member wasn't present.

The advisory planning group will send at least one representative to the commission hearing. If the project is approved, Ramona Community Planning Group will have 10 days to appeal and then the project would go before the Board of Supervisors, Mansolf said.

Anderson will write a letter that the planning group can present to Supervisor Dianne Jacob's chief of staff if needed.