After reading Commissioner Clayton Corey’s letter to the editor last week, it’s disheartening to learn that he has not been listening carefully to residents’ concerns at Planning and Zoning meetings.

For the last two years, I have attended almost every Planning and Zoning meeting, as well as Town Council meetings, where commercial addiction facilities have been discussed to packed rooms. Mr. Corey claims in his letter that residents have been saying “We don’t need those types of people in our town.” This is complete hyperbole.

Residents have questioned, for example, our local detox industry proprietors’ false claims that the commercial addiction facilities in our town serve predominantly Fountain Hills residents as a reason for why more are needed in our town. Additionally, I’ve listened as dozens of concerned residents who’ve been impacted by “sober” homes and detox facilities have asked both Planning & Zoning, as well as the Town Council, to protect the town from the unintended consequences by imposing the strictest zoning ordinances possible under the law, just as many other small towns have done.

Finally, Mr. Corey tries to shame residents in his letter to the editor with this nugget: “We should consider those in our lives who’ve depended on these types of services…” which implies that residents who’ve had the audacity to speak out in favor of strong zoning ordinance protections have had no experience with addiction within their own families. Wrong again, Mr. Corey.

If Commissioner Corey is unable to respect residents’ legitimate concerns regarding commercial addiction facilities, then he must resign from the Planning & Zoning Commission.