Halfway house gets a no vote

Kris Hill

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 | 10:26 a.m.

Members of the Paradise Town Board, responding to a crowd of upset southeast Las Vegas residents, unanimously denied a special use permit Tuesday that would allow two more halfway houses to operate in their neighborhood.

More than 70 people showed up prepared to voice their concerns on the potential for as many as five halfway houses for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts to operate within a half-mile radius.

Lorri Ahlm, a co-owner of three halfway houses already operating and the two that have been proposed, offered to compromise by pulling one of her application requests. It was hard to hear Ahlm as she spoke because the board didn't have microphones, and as a result, the audience crowded around her and the members of the town board.

Ahlm explained that the house she wants to open is 529 feet away from one of her other halfway houses. That is shy of the 660-foot separation mandated by an ordinance passed by the County Commission in January.

"I'm trying to compromise. Clustering was not my intent. Helping people was," she said.

After hearing Ahlm's testimony and comments made by neighbors, Ronald Newell, chairman of the town board, decided to cut the hearing short.

"What is going on is obviously much bigger than what is happening here," Newell said.

He then made a motion to recommend denying the application because the house is within 660 feet of another halfway house. It was approved unanimously by the town board.

Ahlm's request now goes to the County Planning Commission. Though the town board doesn't carry much weight, Newell said, the Planning Commission often agrees with its recommendations.

A hearing before the Planning Commission on the use permit will be held 7 p.m. April 5 at the County Government Center on Grand Central Parkway.