A place to recover: Lorain ponders permit for veterans house (with video)

By RICHARD PAYERCHIN rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com @MJ_JournalRick

Morning Journal/Richard Payerchin House Manager Ed Wells, the Rev. Steve Paliwoda and Alan Revercomb Sr. stand outside Sobering Centers first home on East 33rd Street in Lorain. They hope to provide a safe, sober home for veterans who want to end alcohol and drug dependency before moving to other residences or, in the future, Valor Home Lorain County.

LORAIN City officials are mulling over a zoning variance for a home where veterans can live while overcoming drug and alcohol addictions.

Sobering Centers Inc. was formed in anticipation of the Valor Home Lorain County veterans shelter and resource center opening at the St. Joseph Community Center in Lorain.

Since Valor Home is not planning to accept residents with chemical dependency, the nonprofit Sobering Centers Inc. was formed as a place where veterans can live while they recover.

Were veterans helping veterans, its as simple as that, said Alan L. Revercomb Sr., president of the organization.

Sobering Centers is seeking a conditional use variance to use at a two-story home at 2538 E. 33rd St.

The Lorain Zoning Board of Appeals yesterday voted to delay a decision for 30 days because of legal questions about the issue.

Sobering Centers sits in an area zoned residential and Lorains zoning code does not include a residential social service facility as a conditional use for those areas, said Fire Chief Tom Brown, a zoning board member.

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A place to recover: Lorain ponders permit for veterans house (with video)