Harper Woods residents object to proposed reno for parish house

St. Peter Parish House was once a beautiful home for Catholic priests in Harper Woods. It's been vacant for a year, and now the Archdiocese of Detroit would like to renovate the property.

In partnership with St. John Providence Health System, the two are interested in making the space a convalescent home for the treatment of substance abuse patients.

The City of Harper Woods would have to rezone that property to allow substance abuse patients to be able to stay overnight. 

Some neighbors aren't happy. 

"We're hoping that [the Archdiocese of Detroit] would perhaps bring revenue to Detroit and give back to Detroit and not bring in potentially dangerous individuals into our private neighborhood," says, Jennifer Miller who is opposed ot the rehab center proposal. "They're going to be able to utilize our park, that our tax dollars paid for, where our children play. We don't know what the safety level is, we don't know what the security level is, we don't know any of that."

St. John is working with the Archdiocese of Detroit and provided this statement: 

"This clinically supervised treatment program provides a valuable service to people in need in our community. If approved, we intend to work with local residents to be a good neighbor as we go forward."

Miller and some other residents received a notice from the Harper Woods Planning Commission talking about a meeting next Wednesday, March 25. The city is inviting any resident to explain their objections or concerns about this development.

"They were hoping that something more spiritual and educational would go into a private neighborhood," says Miller.