BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)– The East Baton Rouge Metro Council talked about growing concerns regarding the location of a mental health hospital.
The Central Specialty Plaza was set to open this month next to Forest Heights Academy of Excellence in the Glen Oaks neighborhood. According to LDH documents, the facility is supposed to house severely and persistently mentally ill adults.
“The people in the forensic psychiatric hospital for whatever issues are going on they were unable to stand in the trial,” says Councilman Darryl Hurst “So they may not be convicted, that doesn’t mean they committed the crime.”
There were mixed emotions during the EBR Metro Council meeting. Many resident from Glen Oaks came forward to the podium and voiced their concerns about the facility.
One of the key speakers during the meeting was Collis Temple Jr’s grandson, Elliott Temple. Collis Temple Junior is the operator of the mental health facility that was supposed to open on February 1st.
Elliott Temple says there are already three other facilities like these in the area. However, Councilman Daryl Hurst disagrees with Temple’s statement, finding that he’s referring to halfway houses.
“There were some things that were discussed today by the operator that talked about that they’re three facilities like this already in East Baton Rouge Parish,” says Councilman Darryl Hurst adding, “that was a bold-faced lie”
After a long debate, it was finalized for the planning commission to create a study for amending the UDC or Unified Development Code.
The council approved the study to make sure the resolution is legal and to find the best way forward with the issue. The Central Specialty Plaza location item was deleted until the planning commission has completed the study. Councilman Darryl Hurst hopes to reopen the item within the next couple of weeks.
