Sober living organization explains positive impact of zoning changes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Zoning regulations will soon be an issue of the past for group housing facilities in Warren County.

“We’re very happy, this is something we’ve been pushing for for a couple of years,” said Brad Sowell. 

Brad Sowell owns Victory Lane Sober Living. He says the previous living ordinance was restrictive about where his residences could and couldn’t be. 

“About 50% of the otherwise eligible homes are located within a historic district and under the old zoning ordinance, group living was prohibited in those areas,” said Sowell. 

He wasn’t sure why those areas were restricted, but said those regulations didn’t follow the Fair Housing Act or Americans With Disabilities Act. 

“Alcoholics and addicts are considered to be members of a protected class,” said Sowell. 

People who come to Victory Lane Sober Living must have completed a 30 day inpatient treatment program. 

“We need these facilities to help these folks get to a better place in life,” said City-County Planning Commission Executive Director Ben Peterson. 

Once at the residence, they have two weekly drug screens, have to hold a job, and attend at least 4 Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings per week. 

“They need the structure and the accountability that we can provide while still helping them get back into the real world. We help them get jobs, link them to resources,” said Sowell. 

They have plans to expand their program into areas in that historical district. Being downtown grants the members more opportunities to get better and return to normal life.

“We have several people that use the GO bg Transit bus route to get to their jobs in various areas. So there are several bus stop routes that are throughout there in the downtown area that makes it more feasible for them to get to and from work,” said Chief Financial Officer Billy Jean Sowell. 

This new law will be enacted by April.