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Show Parents leery of sex clinic near school By MARK EDDINGTON Staff Writer FARMINGTON A decision by city officials to allow a treatment center for sex offenders and victims to operate across the street from Monte Vista Elementary School has drawn fire from concerned parents. "The idea of putting a counseling counsel-ing center for sex offenders next to a school where lots of children walk to and from school is just insane," said Susan Walker, who has a son attending the school. Walker characterized as a "sneaky affair" the decision-made by city zoning administrator Craig Hinckley with the approval of city manager Max Forbush and Mayor Robert Arbuckleto grant the Intermountain Sexual Abuse Treatment Center (ISAT) a license without a public hearing. City Councilwoman Marda Dillree and Monte Vista Principal W. Lee Glad have asked for an April 11 meeting of the Parent Teacher Association and other concerned con-cerned citizens with the ISAT executive ex-ecutive director, Dr. Carlos Roby. Glad said he would wait for approval ap-proval from ISAT on the date of the meeting before notifying parents. Dillree hopes the meeting will alleviate al-leviate some of the fears expressed by parents, but said she realizes there are some parents who will still be concerned no matter what is done. She has asked city attorney Mike Mazuran to review the citys actions ac-tions in approving the license to ensure en-sure it was done properly. She has also directed Mazuran to look at J what recourse parents have. Walker accused the city of being insensitive to the needs of the community. "I just think this was done without thinking," Dillree said. "My children don't walk to school, but I'll bet parents who do have children walking to school are very nervous," Walker added. Lynda Groff, who also has a son attending Monte Vista, said she is also opposed to the ISAT location. Groff said she realizes the need for a treatment center, but felt its location loca-tion between Monte Vista and Far-mington Far-mington Elementary School is "ludicrous." "It's like putting matches in front of an arsonist,' ' she said. Groff also said she is bothered by the "back door" approach she said city officials used to approve the center. 1 M "The thing that upsets me is why it was okayed without the city council's approval," Groff said. She said ISAT's location is inappropriate inap-propriate in view of the extended schedule of many of the school's students, along with the fact that many special needs children attend the school. "They don't allow stores next to schools to sell beer and cigarettes, yet they are permitting the treatment treat-ment of sex offenders right next to a school attended by special needs and handicapped children. I wonder , if city officials took a strong look at how parents feel," she said. Max Forbush, city manager, said Farmington officials had no intention inten-tion of doing anything sneaky or underhanded. Forbush said it is the SEE ABUSE ON A-2 Abuse CONTINUED FROM A-l zoning administrator's position that ISAT has the right to be in the building by law. He supported that position, Forbush added. "We have no right to require anyone to do more than is required by law. They met the requirements," re-quirements," he said. "You don't have public hearings when there is a use already established as a conditional condi-tional use. You get input when you have a change in zoning or conditional condi-tional use," he explained. The building ISAT is located in already had a conditional use permit for professional counseling. Forbush For-bush said city governments are governed by law not emotions. "People have a right to their opinions, opi-nions, but we don't operate like that here," he said. Forbush maintains everything in the city is done strictly aboveboard. It is unfair for people to make accusations ac-cusations before knowing the facts, he said. While sympathetic to the views of concerned parents, Dillree said she honestly believes the fact that the majority of those counseled at the center will be victims, did not provide the city with grounds to keep the center out. "There are some things that come into a community that are not as desirable as we would like, but if they fit under the umbrella of business busi-ness requirements there is nothing i you can do. You have to proceed in a manner where they won't challenge you," she said. Dillree has been asked by the city council to serve as a mediator between be-tween concerned parents and ISAT officials to defuse what could become an explosive issue. "If people tell me at the meeting they want to petition or ask the city to revoke the center's license, I want to be able to tell them that isn't an option; or yes, that is an option," op-tion," she explained. Walker and others say they will press on regardless of what city officials say are the available options. op-tions. "I don't think we'll sit quiedy by if they insist on pushing this through. If we are told there is nothing we can do, then we'll just I start doing things," Walker said. J "If we are given options, we'll go along with some of those options. ' i Monte Vista PTA president I Tauni Hill said she would be sur- j prised if it came to that. J "My experience has been that f once people hear what has gone on, j they 'll calm down," she said. I Hill said it is an emotional issue j that parents are trying to deal with j in an intelligent manner. We don't j want to overreact, she said. Hill said the PTA has no formal position on the center and will wait until after the meeting before forming a consensus. con-sensus. The ISAT center, located at 115 S. 200 East, has been operating since January. A |