of the POCONO PLATEAU

Detox center proposal presented to Tobyhanna Twp. supervisors

by Ruth Isenberg

The former Sportsman/ Blakeslee Inn parcel could be reborn as Evergreen Detox Facility, if Tobyhanna Township Supervisors look favorably on a proposal to amend the township’s zoning ordinance to allow facilities of that type in a commercial zone. At the March 6 supervisors’ meeting, representatives of site owner Pocono Raceway said that currently such facilities would be limited to residential zones.

Joseph Mattioli IV presented an overview of the plans for the 3.2 acre site. Evergreen would be a state licensed detox facility, primarily housing people for five to seven days, some longer depending on the substance from which they would be withdrawing.

The need is great, Mattioli said, especially since Covid. Evergreen would be an attractive facility, much like a high-end hotel, “a place you get to go to,” rather than a place you have to go to. There would be nurses and a doctor on site 24 hours a day, and a 1 to 7 ratio of nurses to patients across all three shifts.

The 50-bed facility would house people who voluntarily sought treatment, and would include a percentage of Medicaid beds, so it would be accessible to everyone in the community. “It should be something everyone has access to,” Mattioli said.

Patients would be able to leave if they wished, but the facility would be secure, and patients would be transported in and out of the facility; they would not have cars or phones.

Mattioli said 55 to 60 jobs would be created if the facility is approved.

The township planning commission has already seen the presentation, and further information will be forthcoming.

STR change

Short-term rental changes were another topic of discussion. A suggestion was made to reconsider couting children under the age of 2 as counting toward the total number of occupants allowed. No decision was made.

On another short-term rental isssue, however, supervisors did act. Newly appointed assistant township manager Crystal Butler explained that the application process is requiring several reviews of information, and that some applicants are not correcting deficiencies after being notified, but are just re-submitting the same information. Areas of particular difficulty are the requirement for a property manager within 30 minutes of the township, the requipment for commercial insurance, and the requirements for PA sales tax license and Monroe County hotel tax license.

“We’re trying to help them,” said township manager Bob Bartol, but

See TOBYHANNA TWP, page 2

Local Youth Forestry Camp now empty

by Seth Isenberg

Youth Forestry Camp #2 (YFC) in Kidder Township, at Hickory Run State Park, is empty. The facility is still open. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has recently moved youths in their care to their homes, or into the care of their home counties, or sent them to the YFC #3 in Huntingdon County, east of Altoona.

Most of the local staff is now working at the PA Department of Human

Services’ Secure Treatment Unit in Pittston.

Here is the statement from the PA Department of Human Services Press Office:

“Pennsylvania’s youth forestry camps (YFCs) provide treatment, care, and custody services to Pennsylvania’s most atrisk youth. The current design of Hickory Run YFC does not support secure placement, which is where the juvenile justice system’s greatest placement needs are at this time. At present,

See YFC, page 2

Tobyhanna Twp.

Continued by the third time around with no correction to the application, the staff is spending too much time rereviewing each application, “and it’s not fair to the residents [of the township] as a whole. Supervisors agreed, and voted to charge a $200 fee for each resubmission beyond the third. There were several complaints about individual STR properties. A daa base of the STRs tracks complaints, and permits can be revoked after three complaints. It was noted that the legitimacy of the complaints is also tracked and recorded, and that there is a penalty for false complaints.

About 60 permits have been issued so far, but there are over 200 applications in process. The staff has also begun tracking down STR owners who have not begun the process of applying.

Other Business Supervisors appointed Bethanne Eisler as township secretary and recording secretary to replace Butler.

The approved a temporary joint tax collection district resolution to allow Coolbaugh Township’s tax collector to also collect taxes for Tobyhanna Township until Decembere 31.

A public hearing for a zoning ordinance amendment regarding towing operations will be advertised; supervisor Joseph Colyer abstained.

A paving wavier was approved for Xavier Landscape; it was requested for the rear of the site because of the heavy equipment being used. Colyer and John Kerrick both abstained on this vote.

The Pinecrest Development Amended Phasing Schedule was approved; supervisor Brendon Carroll abstained.

The amended subdivision plan for Toby Site LLC was approved; Kerrick abstained.

One bid was received for the fire pumper for Pocono Summit Volunteer Fire Company in the amount of $301,500 from Fire Fighter One; it was approved unanimously.

In public comment, Ed Tutrone addressed the letter to residents published in the last Journal of the Pocono Plateau regarding the Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Co. He acknowledged that the supervisors paid indivdually for the ad, and noted their response would be printed.

Yfc

Continued from page 1 all youth at Hickory Run YFC have either been released to their home counties or transitioned to our Youth Forestry Camp 3 facility in Huntingdon County in order to maintain their current level of care.

Most of Hickory Run YFC’s staff have transferred to support the new Northeast Secure Treatment Unit in Pittston. While the Hickory Run YFC is currently still open, discussions about the future of the facility are ongoing.”

Legal Notice

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Articles Of Incorporation were filed with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, PA, on February 27th, 2023, for the purpose of obtaining a charter of a nonprofit corporation organized under the Nonprofit Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The name of the corporation is: Rotary Club Of Mt. Pocono Foundation, Ltd., which is organized Exclusively for charitable, educational and other purposes as permitted by Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The Incorporator is Hal H. Harris.