Many Oppose Proposed Drug Treatment Facility By JAMES C. LOUGHRIE Valley Press Staff Writer This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Wednesday, March 8, 2006. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LEONA VALLEY - A drug treatment program affiliated with the Church of Scientology had its hearing Monday night. It was not a hearing by a governing body with the county or a state licensing agency; it was conducted a voluntary committee of townspeople who laid out information learned about Narconon. For Green Valley resident Michael Huff, any drug rehabilitation center is welcome. "If Narconon does what it takes to ensure the public's safety and help addicts who pay a lot and volunteer to get better, the world's all the better for it," the retired Marine Corps officer said. For Leona Valley resident Steve Cronk, any rehabilitation center would defeat the purpose of why he moved out of Lancaster. "I think that a lot of people who live here have been here so long they lost sight of what's happened on the other side of the hill," he said, referring to Palmdale and Lancaster. "Anyone who believes this will not have an effect on the area is nave." Many residents at Monday's meeting at the Leona Valley Community Center did not seem to be in favor of Narconon, but now the decision is in the county's hands. The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to vote on the facility March 15. If approved there, the facility could be appealed by any person within 15 days of Narconon's receiving the approval notice from the county. James Bell, who works in the county Department of Regional Planning, said the appeals would go in front of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. "Supervisor (Michael D.) Antonovich is very interested in hearing the concerns of local residents who live near the Narconon property or in these communities," said Paul Novak, an Antonovich aide. Since the hearings began, Novak said, several people have called to voice their opinions, mostly opposed to the facility. "They have been doing that, and I expect they will continue doing that," he said. The group was almost evenly split Monday as to who was in favor or opposed to the facility. However, Leona Valley residents accused Narconon backers of packing the meeting with Scientologists. At the meeting, people opposed to Scientology approached the podium, accusing the Narconon planners of lying. They were shouted down by people in the crowd, some of whom were not recognized by Leona Valley residents. Clark Carr, president of Narconon, said he thought it was a fair meeting. "This was democracy in action," he said. "We really want to learn the concerns of the residents." But Carr said residents' fears have been expressed before in other communities and Narconon has won over residents by being a good neighbor. "We have 135 centers in 45 countries, and this is our 40th anniversary; we know how to live within a community," Carr said. After hearing from the committee members, Narconon representatives and townspeople, the residents are to fill out survey cards and submit them to their respective councils. Leona Valley Town Councilmember Jan Powell, who chaired the Narconon committee, said the survey responses will result in a letter, to be written by the end of this month, which will go to Antonovich. jloughrie@avpress.com