Dixon sober home reaches agreement with city, neighbors

DIXON – Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery has reached an agreement with the city to operate a sober home with up to 10 residents at 403 E. Fellows St.

The Dixon City Council approved a reasonable accommodation request from the nonprofit organization Monday allowing the home to increase the number of unrelated residents from five to 10 following months of negotiations with city staff, recovery officials and concerned neighbors.

A sober living home is one in which those suffering from substance abuse who have completed rehab live for a time, getting treatment and supporting one another while they attend school, find jobs and work on their recovery. It’s a way to keep them from returning to their previous environments, where they used, had friends who used, and likely don’t have the services and support needed to maintain their sobriety.

In March, Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery petitioned the city to have 403 E. Fellows St. designated a lodging house for the purpose of opening a sober living facility for up to 11 men recovering from substance abuse disorder, and two staff members who would serve as recovery coaches. Work on the home includes extensive renovations.

The organization later withdrew its petition after finding out that the city doesn’t have a zoning designation that would fit the project.

City officials mulled two options to either create a new zoning category for recovery homes or approve a reasonable accommodation for the project.

The city also hosted a town hall in August featuring a panel of recovery, law enforcement and medical experts as well as retired Judge John Payne, who was part of a neighborhood group with concerns about the home.

[ Experts speak about positive impact of sober homes during Dixon town hall ]

City Manager Danny Langloss said all parties were satisfied with the 10-year agreement, which includes restrictions on who can live in the home, gatherings and discharging residents.

Individuals occupying the home must be a resident of Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Carroll, or DeKalb counties; have been a prior resident of the city within the last three years or currently have at least one family member residing in the 61021 zip code; or have transferred directly from the recovery facility operated by Sinnissippi Centers on Washington Avenue.

The home is prohibited from hosting regularly scheduled meetings serving people that do not reside within the home, including, without limitation, recovery meetings. They may conduct traditional household events including cookouts.

The organization will also be required to submit a report to Langloss every three months including the number of individuals that resided in the home during the preceding quarter; the number of individuals that successfully graduated from the home; the number of individuals that left the home before successfully graduating; data disclosing where each individual residing in the home lived before; any outside funding received during the preceding three months; and any additional information Langloss deems “reasonably necessary to evaluate SVVR’s compliance with this agreement.”

The group is prohibited from housing anyone who is a registered sex offender, has been convicted of a violent Class 2 felony or higher, or is currently on court-ordered house arrest.

No more than three vehicles belonging to the occupants of the home may be parked at any time on the public roadways surrounding the residence, which includes Fellows Street and North Dixon Avenue.

The agreement also includes a provision that if Sauk Valley Voices Executive Director Gerald Lott leaves the position, his successor would be subject to City Council approval.

The group is a nonprofit community organization advocating for those recovering from alcohol and substance addiction in Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties.

The goal is to build an environment that encourages, promotes and sustains healthy recovery.