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A proposal now under consideration by the San Mateo County Planning Commission would authorize a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center to replace the Stillheart Institute, a meditation center, at 16350 Skyline Blvd. in unincorporated Woodside. The Stillpath Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Center has applied for a change to the use permit for the site.
A community meeting on the proposal is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Kings Mountain Community Center at 13889 Skyline Blvd.
Stillpath would use holistic approaches to rehabilitation, including yoga, massage, music therapy, spiritual counseling and 12-step programs, according to a Planning Commission staff report. The use is consistent with what is permitted under county regulations, and approval is recommended by county staff, the report says.
The staff report says the change would not increase staff numbers nor would it alter the grounds or buildings. Vehicle traffic would go down, in part because clients’ stays would average 45 days compared with the three-day weekends typical for the meditation center. Clients’ arrival days would be staggered to reduce traffic impacts.
Capacity would go to 76 clients, up from 57 for the meditation center, the report says.
The commission delayed approving Stillpath’s use permit application to give it time to look into claims about no changes to staffing levels and parking discrepancies, along with other “significant inconsistencies,” according to an email from Kathy Kennedy-Miller, a former president of the Kings Mountain Association, a neighborhood organization.
Kings Mountain neighbors who attended the Oct. 23 meeting expressed concerns about fire dangers, given that the clients would allegedly be allowed to smoke on balconies that overlook the surrounding forest, Ms. Kennedy said. Neighbors also allege that Stillpath’s claim that it would draw water from an on-site well is misinformed in that the facility uses water provided by the Skyline County Water District, Ms. Kennedy said. The water district, she added, was not informed about the proposed change in use.
Go to this link and turn to Page 41 to see the Planning Commission staff report. For more information, call 650-851-8235.