Alcohol and drug treatment center opens near Campton Hills following years of opposition

CAMPTON HILLS – Following years of public opposition to the project, an alcohol and drug treatment center has opened in the former boys school near Campton Hills.

Recovery Centers of America has opened a facility at the site of the former Glenwood School for Boys at 41W400 Silver Glen Road in Campton Township. Nearby residents had voiced concerns that the facility would have a negative effect on their neighborhoods and reduce property values.

In August 2018, the Kane County Board voted to approve a consent decree and a $5.6 million settlement agreement that ended a federal lawsuit regarding the project. Maxxam Partners LLC and Glenwood Academy filed a $68 million federal lawsuit against Kane County, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Kane County Board in 2017 after its petition was denied for a second time amid a public outcry against it.

The lawsuit alleged that the denial was illegal discrimination against people suffering from addiction under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Licensed for both detox services and residential care, the campus is equipped to serve up to 120 patients. When fully occupied, RCA expects to bring close to 150 jobs to the community.

“In the ER, we see first-hand that the opioid overdose crisis is killing thousands of Illinoisans,” said Dr. Stephen Holtsford, the newly-named Medical Director of RCA St. Charles and a physician at Delnor Hospital for 22 years, in a news release from Recovery Centers of America. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Addiction is a very treatable condition when we ensure that treatment is readily available to those that need it, when we combat stigma, and when we give patients support and compassion. RCA’s model of helping patients close to home, side-by-side with their families, with the latest, evidence-based treatments will truly save lives. This facility will be an excellent addition to the community.”

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon also spoke about the need for the facility.

"Given the opioid crisis in the country generally and the needs of our community specifically, a facility of this kind is greatly needed," McMahon said in the release. "Over the months of interaction with RCA, our office has been impressed with the quality of your program in other communities and the competency of the representatives with whom we have worked. I am confident that this facility will provide services for the benefit of our community. This is a needed and an important alternative to the treatment options available. Your focus complements the other services in our community and is a welcome addition.”