OXFORD —  A religious organization’s proposal to open a men’s home for recovering addicts is a great idea, but not on Coldwater Brook Road, neighbors said.

A faith-based organization called CityReach Oxford Hills intends to ask the town for permission to renovate the former Assembly of God Church at 298 Coldwater Brook Road to house up to eight men and their mentors, according to church leaders.

Standing in his driveway last week, resident Tom Wiles looked past his green lawn a hundred or so feet away to the back of the proposed group home. Less concerned about safety than resale value, Wiles said he’d rather see a church reopen there than a rehabilitation center. 

“It’s our way of life. I should be concerned,” Wiles said. 

Since the rumor surfaced several weeks ago, Pastor Roland Laliberty of Kenduskeag, who’s organizing CityReach’s effort, said he’s been going door-to-door trying to convince neighbors of the merits of the proposal.

Everyone’s been polite and patient, albeit unconvinced, he said.

Laliberty said the home would be a free, voluntary program where men with psychological and physiological addiction problems could sign up for an intensive, nine-month supervised residency.

Rather than a traditional facility where addicts are gradually weened off drugs through medication and therapy, the curative is faith and scripture. Medications aren’t allowed. 

“This is a safe place. They follow a certain criteria and education, and we just love them and help them go through what they’re going through. As church, that’s what we’re called to do — helping them become productive community members again,” Laliberty said. 

Up to eight “disciples” can be admitted at any time with three mentors, faith-based employees with a background in substance abuse work. Residents are given a daily schedule and monitored closely by a supervisor, who also ensures they’re completing mandatory community service and oversees their progress. 

Laliberty said he hopes to renovate the building in the coming weeks and open the doors in July. 

The plan must be presented to the Planning Board. In addition to ensuring the plan meets zoning regulations, the board typically takes the views of neighbors into consideration.

According to the zoning ordinance, the property is in a residential area where drug addiction treatment facilities are not allowed but churches and faith-based organizations are.

Walter Mosher, chairman of the Planning Board, declined to comment on the merits of the application, saying he’d yet to see it. When asked for an overview of the criteria the board will use to make their decision, Mosher directed inquiries to the town land-use planning document. 

In the document, an addiction treatment facility is defined as a “facility for outpatient detoxification and treatment of narcotic-dependent persons which administers or dispenses drugs used to alleviate adverse physiological or psychological effects incident to withdrawal from continuous or sustained drug use.” 

There is no definition in the document for a church. 

According to Code Enforcement Officer Rodney Smith, whether the group can obtain a permit will depend on how board members view the home’s primary function.

Laliberty had no confusion over it.

“It’s definitely a church,” he said, adding if the proposal for a group home is turned down they’ll move forward with re-establishing a church at the site.

The group is part of a national organization with programs in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Maryland. Other homes in Maine are in Belfast, Lewiston, Bangor and Auburn. 

The building, which is owned by Northern New England District Council, is allowing Laliberty and CityReach to use the premises as a men’s recovery home, according to a May 8 letter. 

Glenn Hodgdon, a Hebron Academy employee living across the street, said he feared it would lead to desperate people milling around looking for things to steal to fuel a drug habit. 

“It should be in a more isolated area,” Hodgdon said. 

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