Cassian town board takes formal action in opposition to drug rehabilitation facility

The Cassian town board has gone on record with its opposition to the planned construction of an adolescent recovery and wellness center (ARWC) on North Pine Square Road.

The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc. (GLITC) announced its plans to build the center earlier this summer.

After previously expressing concerns about the project, the town board on Monday unanimously approved a resolution “opposing the construction of the proposed drug and substance abuse rehabilitation center in the Town of Cassian.”

Town chair Patty Francoeur read the resolution prior to the vote. 

The document outlines the reasons for the board’s opposition including that town residents and the town board “were never consulted about the construction of a drug abuse rehabilitation center” by GLITC. 

Other reasons for opposition stated in the resolution include:

• The town’s infrastructure “is not designed to and unable to support the construction and maintain the day-to-day demands” of the new center. 

• A reduction in property values “according to numerous studies and reports, and cause undue economic harm to the citizens of Cassian Township through no fault of their own” and that “subsequent reduction in property values and economic activity will reduce the revenue and further diminish the town’s ability to meet its obligation to the citizens” of Cassian.

• The proposed ARWC would “negatively impact the welfare, public health, and safety of the citizens of the Town of Cassian due to the increased public safety demands for a remote location already dealing with pre-existing challenges caused by long response times for EMS (emergency medical services) and/or law enforcement to respond to incidents.”

The resolution goes on to ask the GLITC to “immediately halt” the planned construction in Cassian. It also asks the Oneida County planning and zoning department and county board to deny zoning permits for the facility “unless demonstrable guarantees are provided to the citizens of the Town of Cassian” that the AWRC “will not negatively impact the welfare, economic security, and public safety of the citizens of Cassian Township.”

Francoeur said town attorney Greg Harrold drafted the resolution and after it was approved by the town board, she made a motion to have the town board meet with an outside attorney, Frank Kowalkowski of the Green Bay office of the law firm Van Briesen and Roper. 

Kowalkowski has also been hired by the Lac du Flambeau town board to provide additional legal assistance related to its ongoing road dispute with the  Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. 

“He might tell us different options that are out there,” Francoeur said.

Cassian fire chief Mike Leir told the town board at its Aug. 14 meeting he was informed by representatives of the construction firm that is expected to be the primary contractor for construction of the AWRC that conditional use permit applications were to be submitted by the end of August. 

However, town supervisor John Schaub said Monday’s meeting he had spoken to Oneida County planning and zoning director Karl Jennrich on Aug. 31 and Jennrich told him then there had been no CUP applications received from GLITC and that was still the case as of Tuesday.

GLITC chief executive officer Bryan Bainbridge, who previously told The Lakeland Times he’d like to begin construction of the AWRC in October, and has said he wants to be “a good neighbor” for the town of Cassian, could not be reached for comment as of press time for this edition.

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].