A Mercer County commissioner sees something positive happening in Sharon, where neighbors and city and school officials are upset about a potential group home for juvenile sex offenders.

Olivia Lazor said that while there is a lot of concern about the proposed home at East State Street and Strawbridge Avenue, it's good that the community is aware of the situation and "not letting it get away from them."

City and school officials have already pledged to do anything they can to stop the home from moving into the community.

Mike Sember, owner of The Phoenix Youth Service Inc., Hermitage, said the project is on hold because of opposition at the county level. He also said he's still undergoing the licensing process.

A license for a group home is issued by the Children, Youth and Families division of the state Department of Welfare. Mercer County has absolutely nothing to do with the licensing process, Mrs. Lazor said.

Mrs. Lazor said Mercer County Children and Youth Services can offer a letter of support for a proposed group home, but in this case CYS did not issue that letter.

Carey Miller, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Welfare, said the county and the juvenile probation office have an option to send a letter saying if they would use the proposed program. "If the county would say 'no,' oftentimes they (the agency) would go to another county and ask them the same thing," she said.

Mercer County officials thought the proposal for the group home was inadequate in certain areas that concerned the safety of students and the community, Mrs. Lazor said, calling the home "a possible scenario for disaster."

"The location is out of the question," she said. The home would be located in a neighborhood and very close to schools.

Mrs. Lazor said one crucial issue in a group home for juveniles is to get them to reconnect with their families. Because the majority of teens living in the home would be from Allegheny County, keeping them in touch with their families would be very difficult, she said.

Ms. Miller said the time of the licensing process varies from agency to agency. She said it can take as little as six months or as long as three years to get a license.

"It's (the facility) really there to provide rehabilitation to those children. The safety and protection of the community will always be considered," Ms. Miller said.

The only say a community has in the home really comes through zoning laws, Ms. Miller said.

In general, the licensing process begins with the agency submitting a program description and an application for a license, Ms. Miller said. She said someone from a regional office will visit the property and look for general requirements, such as the number of bedrooms and toilets.

At that point, if everything seems to comply, the Department of Public Welfare will issue a provisional license, Ms. Miller said. With a provisional license, there is an inspection after six months, but there can be surprise visits at any time, she said. If everything continues to comply, the agency can be issued a full license and will be inspected yearly, she said.

Sember said Monday he is considering moving the facility to Allegheny County.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at:
kgarrett@sharonherald.com