COURT RESOLVES LAND USE CASE IN FAVOR OF SHERIDAN HOUSE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

FT. LAUDERDALE- A South Florida family resource center created to help at-risk youth and young single mothers get back on their feet will now be able to start construction on its new facility. The project, which was challenged in court by some area residents, will now proceed with plans to open as early as 2005.

Sheridan House is a family resource center focused on helping single mothers and at-risk youth who may be struggling at home and in school. The center's program offers teens a temporary residence at the campus while they receive counseling and attend public school. The program requires parents to take an active role in the family's overall development by attending on-site counseling and parenting classes. The collaborative approach encourages families to implement the strategies learned at the center when the child returns home on weekends.

A 2003 lawsuit that had threatened to derail plans for the new Sheridan House facility had been

filed on behalf of residents of the Town of Davie. The suit argued that the proposed project was

inconsistent with the town's comprehensive plan for growth and development which designated

Sheridan House's property for residential use. Area residents voiced concerns that the project would compromise the rural integrity of the neighborhood that had first attracted them to the area.

'When judging whether or not a resident's quality of life will be disrupted by a nearby development, a number of factors such as daily travel, noise issues and lighting are taken into account,' said Ruden McClosky land use litigation Attorney Bryan Greenberg who represented Sheridan House. 'Any plaintiff can make these claims. It is up to the defending counsel however, to question whether the plaintiff has proper standing with the court. Are the claims perceived or real? We demonstrated that the plaintiffs did not have standing. We also showed that the Sheridan House facility is compatible with the residential designation for the property.'

After a year of hearings and a seven-day trial, the project has been given the green light and land has already been cleared to begin construction. Separate boys' and girls' residences, a day-care center, counseling center and 35 villa units for single mothers will be built. The first phase of the project will be completed in the fall of 2005, with a groundbreaking planned for later this year. Pierce Architectural Group of Fort Lauderdale designed the new facility, which is residential in both scale and architectural character.

'Every town needs a Sheridan House,' said Bill Stalion, in-house counsel for Sheridan House. 'And everyone wants the kind of community that is free of crime and drugs, the kind of place they can raise their kids. Sheridan House has created a place where kids who are having a hard time can be embraced and learn to become the kind of people you would want living next door to you. If that isn't smart growth, then I don't know what is.'