Group home spurs worries

HOLLADAY — Residents of a quiet neighborhood west of Olympus High School are upset about a proposal to bring a group home into their subdivision.

Holladay city officials are concerned as well and have asked for a meeting with Jerry Jefferies, CEO of Future Through Choices Inc.

City Manager Randy Fitts said Wednesday the group home application given to the city by Jefferies' company is "vague." But he said a request for proposals (RFP), obtained by a resident from the state of Utah, indicates the home could house males between the ages of 16 and 21 who are felony sex offenders with IQs under 80 and "having serious mental deficiencies."

"Supposedly, this is the program that Future Through Choices is going to bring in," Fitts said. "This is a little bit beyond the bounds of something that should be within any community, I think."

When residents heard about the proposal two weeks ago, about 120 of them went to City Hall to express their concerns, said neighbor Missy Larson, who has been coordinating the effort to find out more about the proposal. She said about 300 signed a petition opposing the group home.

"There is a very large risk," she said. "These people do not have to be watched on a 24-hour basis, so they can come and leave, from what we're understanding."

And that, Larson said, could mean convicted sex offenders would be roaming a neighborhood filled with children and the elderly.

The house that would contain the group home, according to an application filed with the city, is a rental at 2180 E. Sunnybrook Way (4020 South).

"It is right in the center of a subdivision that there is no way to get in and out of other than coming in two or three streets. It's a very closed neighborhood," Larson said. "From what I'm understanding, it's the first of its kind that has the criminal aspect of it in the county."

The city has written a letter to Jefferies asking a number of questions about the proposed group home, and Jefferies said Wednesday he is willing to meet with city officials anytime. He also hopes to meet with residents of the neighborhood, perhaps as soon as Tuesday.

"I've talked to several residents and obviously they are very concerned," Jefferies said. "It sounds like, to a large degree, they've made up their minds, so I don't know if there's a lot I can do to make them feel better about it."