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32 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 26, 2004 Pressure applied on move of housing for mentally ill By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A Medford center for mentally ill criminals and others is on track to open this spring, thanks in part to prodding from neighbors who don’t want it in Ashland. A $750,000 renovation of a former Jackson County library building on Hazel Street will be open for bids in mid- December, completed by April and occupied by May, according to an architect’s timeline released this week. The center will provide 16 beds for mentally ill people, including several who have committed violent felonies. The clients have resided since June at the Hazel Center in Ashland, sparking controversy among neighbors. Deltra Ferguson, who lives across from the temporary center at 330 Maple St., said neighbors remain eager for the new site to be completed. "Thus far, nothing dangerous has happened that has made it out into the neighborhood," said Ferguson, mother of toddler twins. "We’ve been kind of asking them regularly what’s going on." Advertisement That vigilance has had an effect on Jackson County officials. Medford architect Ron Grimes, who’s in charge of the renovation, said he’s been pushed to keep the project on time and on budget. "They’ve had a gun to my head," Grimes joked. County health Director Hank Collins said he’s eager to finish the $1.7 million project to provide shelter to people who are deemed ready for release from the state mental hospital in Salem. "The neighbors in Ashland have been keeping up the pressure," Collins said. Pending lawsuits have forced state leaders to create centers to provide community care for people supervised by the Oregon Psychiatric Safety and Review Board. Collins was one of the first county leaders in the state to respond to such requests. However, the clients were ready to go before the new center was ready for them, he said. Neighbors in Ashland were worried that the clients, who include several men convicted of crimes such as assault, sodomy and attempted murder, might pose a danger to local residents. Ferguson said the center should never have been situated in a residential area, even temporarily. The new Hazel Center will be in an area zoned for industrial and commercial uses, Grimes said. When completed, the 9,000- square-foot center will represent a renovation of three county-owned buildings, including the former library storage unit at 1911 Hazel St. It will be next to Jackson County’s recently relocated methadone treatment center, Collins noted. Grimes said there’s every reason to think the center will be open on time. "I think we are on track and I’ll make the schedule," he said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities