A FUTURE WHERE YOUR ZIP CODE DOESN’T DETERMINE YOUR LIFESPAN

A few miles can add years to your life. Your neighborhood affects the air you breathe, the water you drink, your access to healthy food — and how long you live.

Healthier communities make healthier people. The University of Washington is at the forefront of addressing the interconnected factors that influence how long and how well we live, from climate change and poverty to systemic inequities and health care. In partnership with community organizations, the UW transforms research into concrete actions that improve and save lives across the country — and around the world.

“That’s the position the state agencies have put us in,” McCunn says.

McCunn points to documents from the Washington State Health Care Authority that say people should only be admitted to intensive behavioral health facilities if they “require more intensive services due to dangerous or intrusive behaviors, complex medication needs, a history of unsuccessful residential placements, a history of hospitalizations, or a history of violent or felony offenses.”

It’s shocking, McCunn says.

Cox understands why people are alarmed. But he argues that the violent and criminal behaviors described in the document are outlier cases that don’t represent a majority of the patients the new facility would admit.

The city is letting Cox move forward with construction, but the moratorium stops him from getting the occupancy permit he’ll need to actually operate the facility once it’s finished. If the city finds a permanent way to stop the building from being used as a behavioral health facility, the Commerce funding Cox was counting on to cover the construction costs will go away — leaving him on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cox tried to answer the community’s concerns at a town hall event in February. He says he was met with valid questions and criticism, but also personal attacks, misinformation and vitriol. With that in mind, he decided not to go to last week’s meeting.

“It almost sounds like the town thinks we’re bringing in felons and rapists,” says Hawvermale, the Quail Hollow nurse. “That’s not what we’re doing here.”

Many residents are concerned about Quail Hollow’s proximity to local schools. The building is just a few blocks from the local high school and elementary school.

Over the past year, there have been two incidents involving Quail Hollow residents leaving the facility and wandering into the neighborhood, prompting alarmed neighbors to call the police.

McCunn argues that the town is far too small to handle this type of facility. The five-person police department is already stretched thin, he says, how are they supposed to handle an influx of unstable people in the community?

Since the incidents, Cox says his staff have been on high alert and strengthened their policy of not allowing residents to go out into the community without staff accompaniment. He’s also looking into adding fences and cameras once the facility is finished.

Cox doesn’t want this to get ugly. He says many of the city’s concerns have been reasonable, and that he wants to find a way for everyone to just get along. But he’s not backing down either. He says he’s hired an attorney to defend his rights as the landowner if it comes down to it.

At last week’s City Council meeting, city officials asked the residents to help brainstorm ideas for an ordinance that would stop the facility or otherwise restrict its use. Perhaps something saying it can’t be within 500 feet of a school?

“How about 5 miles?” someone yelled, prompting applause. n nates@inlander.com