Monessen residents object to Club Serenity home

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Club Serenity bought a house on Nash Avenue in Monessen for use as a recovery home for addicts who are sober, but some city residents have spoken out against having the house in a residential zone.

At last week’s workshop, Elmer Mattozi, who lives in the 1200 block of Nash Avenue near the Club Serenity house, told council about the purchase.

It wasn’t brought to city council for discussion prior to the purchase because it was a private sale, Mayor Matt Shorraw said. 

Mattozi said Club Serenity does treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, “which is fine for people who need help, but our area is residential, it’s R1 (zoning) and it’s strictly residential. There’s nothing the matter with them moving into Monessen, it’s perfectly fine, but we’re zoned R-1.”

Solicitor Tim Witt said to keep in mind that the city has its own zoning, which restricts where certain types of things, such as a treatment center, can go.

“But what we have to keep in mind, too, is that we are subject to, and we’re required to follow, the Fair Housing Act to the extent that if our zoning ordinance … is in violation of the Fair Housing Act, we can’t enforce our zoning ordinance or we would be subject to potentially major enforcement issues, such as a fine or penalties from the federal government,” he said.

Several residents signed a petition asking council to investigate the issue.

Witt said the city sent a letter to Club Serenity with a list of questions Tuesday prior to this week’s meeting to determine if the proposed use meets the city’s zoning ordinance or falls under the FHA.

“The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities,” according to hud.gov.

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