KSBY

Posted: Jul 30, 2010 6:24 PM
Updated: Aug 2, 2010 11:50 AM

The Lompoc Valley Medical Center wants to turn the old Lompoc Hospital into a national detox and addiction recovery center for police, fire and military personnel. The hospital moved to a new facility last month leaving the old site on Hickory Avenue vacant.

Medical Center leadership has informed neighbors of the plan to turn it into a treatment center and reaction is mixed. Some are concerned about the prospect of having drug addicts in the neighborhood but others like Bart Blout say it's a way to honor the service of people that have protected us. "it's just not anybody that would be eligible to come here, it would be people that have done good service to the community and have just got caught up in a little bad stuff and they need some help."

Lompoc Mayor Mike Siminski supports the project and says it would bring more jobs to Lompoc. "We Have many, many people that commute every day to Santa Barbara and I would much rather provide them the jobs here in town. That gives them two hours a day to spend with their families, to volunteer in the community."

There is a similar recovery center four hours south in Hemet, California that has been operating for ten years. According to the "Addiction Medicine Services" that facility is starting to become overcrowded and another cite is needed.

With the available facility and close proximity to the Vandenberg Air Force Base the A.M.S. thinks Lompoc would be a great cite for the treatment center. When cost estimates are made and other logistical things are figured out the hospital's Board of Directors will vote on whether to approve the project.