This is in response to Andy Bennett from Recovery Consultants raising “concerns” about residents of our town having issues with the proliferation of sober living homes in our residential neighborhoods and having a detoxification facility in Fountain Hills.

Andy Bennett and his company are consultants who make money in the drug addiction and recovery business. He is an outsider trying to influence our town development. He takes issue with residents and hints that our efforts to want to place zoning and ordinance restrictions on these kinds of facilities are “discriminatory.”

No, Mr. Bennett they are driven by real concerns about turning our beautiful town into a “rehab” destination like what happened to Prescott and Del Ray, Fla., and other communities across the nation. Concerns about the decrease in residential property values if you are near these facilities. Concerns about the safety of our neighborhoods with the constant turnover of residents in these homes. Everyone knows detox and sober homes come with “bad players” and increases in criminal activity.

Mr. Bennett, here is the simple answer: We don’t want this in our backyard and you should look elsewhere. Don’t try to pin that all-too-convenient “discrimination” label on us. We’re not buying it.