HAZLE TOWNSHIP -- A proposed drug and alcohol rehab center has some residents worried. Investors in the proposed rehab say it's much needed in the Hazleton area. Some residents agree, but not entirely.
In Hazle Township, some residents are saying "no" to a proposed drug and alcohol rehab center that would be next to their homes.
"My backyard, I have a fire pit that I use in the summertime. My wife is scared of the people they are going to recruit her," said David Hutchinson of Hazle Township.
"I worked on a drug and alcohol unit in Philadelphia and I know what they act like when they are in detoxing and withdrawal," added Patricia DiProspero, another township resident.
More than 1,000 residents in the township have signed a petition to stop the new owners of an old bar and restaurant on Route 940 from turning it into a place where struggling addicts can go for help.
"I don`t disagree with what they`re doing. I just disagree with where it`s going to be put," said Rory Dixon of Hazle Township.
The owners of the property and investors for the rehab say they've heard the residents' fears, but believe research actually proves the opposite.
"What it is going to do is be a positive thing for the community. There are studies and articles from the New York Times, showing that these facilities are a positive thing to the community."
Doctor Jude Sidiri and Michael Cabell are two of the owners of the property and investors in the proposed rehab center. They grew up in Hazleton and say the area needs this facility, and this is the perfect location.
"The way it is set up there is an existing building that gives us enough room to have game rooms, our dining halls, our fitness center."
The Hazle Township Zoning Board will meet on Tuesday, when it is expected to decide if plans for the rehab center will or will not move forward.