Residents challenge permit for Boyle Street's proposed overdose prevention site in Ritchie

Residents in the Ritchie and Old Strathcona neighbourhoods are again trying to prevent Boyle Street Community Services from opening a health hub that includes an overdose prevention site at 81st Avenue and 101st Street.

Nine people opposed to the site signed up to speak at Edmonton's subdivision and development appeal hearing Thursday at city hall.

At least one person signed up to speak in support of the proposed health hub will get a chance when the hearing resumes May 14. The hearing will resume on May 21 if required.

With four daycare centres nearby as well as local businesses and residential buildings, the neighbourhood is not suitable for a centre where people are invited to consume drugs, the appellants argue.

It's the second time the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board is hearing arguments about the proposed health hub.

Last summer, the board revoked the development permit awarded by the City of Edmonton because the entrance to the building wasn't universally accessible.

Boyle Street adjusted the entrance with a ramp and reapplied for a permit.

Spokesperson Elliott Tanti says Boyle Street's south side overdose prevention site lost its permit because its entrance wasn't universally accessible. (Madeleine Cummings/CBC)

Rob Bligh, whose family owns a local business across the street from the proposed location, said he believes the site would invite crime and deter people from investing in and redeveloping the area.

"We feel it's now threatened by the proposed use under review by the board," Bligh said.

Also a co-founder of the Scona Concerned Citizens, Bligh said they now have more than 2,500 signatures on a petition for the agency to find another location.

"We're not opposed to helping people with addiction, we know it's a problem," he said. "We're just trying to protect our families, our homes, our employees, our businesses in our community."

Patricia Golec, who owns a condominium nearby, is concerned the site would bring crime to the area.

"Obviously if you're a seller of illegal substances, you want to go to where the people who use it are, and in this [site], they will be in our neighbourhood."

The proposed site is a small building, nestled between a second-hand bookstore and a restaurant, that was formerly a hair salon.

Boyle Street spokesperson Elliot Tanti said arguments from residents on Thursday were not on point.

"This is a hearing about zoning and unfortunately we're not hearing anything about zoning and we need to make sure that that means the focus," Tanti told news media. "This is meant to be a process about uses and unfortunately we spent a lot of time talking about users."

The province approved Boyle Street's application to incorporate the overdose prevention use in the building, in addition to a health hub offering health services, such as harm reduction, mental wellness and recovery.

Tanti said they chose the location after determining a need for the service on the south side of the river.

"There are specific areas in the city where we're seeing an increase in overdoses and overdose deaths, one of those areas that were identified is south of the river near Whyte Avenue."

Edmonton has three supervised consumption sites — at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, George Spady Centre and Radius Community Health and Healing.

Those are approved by the federal government as an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, while overdose prevention sites are approved by the provincial government.

Last year, the Ritchie Community League also announced their support for the proposed site.

After the board hears from all parties, it has 15 days to decide whether to let the overdose prevention site open.