Dozens protest in Des Moines over plans to build drug and mental health recovery center

DES MOINES, Wash. -- Parents who say they are worried about the safety of their children protested Tuesday over a drug and mental health recovery center moving into their community.

The facility breaks ground this fall and will open next year.

“It shouldn’t be near an elementary school, definitely not right next to a library,” parent AnaLee Fluegel said.

Parents are hoping to block the recovery center from breaking ground less than a 1,000 feet from Woodmont Elementary School.

The center will help drug addicts and the mentally ill. But parents are worried about their kids' safety.

“What if they come after one of our children and look through their book bags looking for an iPhone, iPad or lunch money?” Fluegel asked.

The nonprofit organization Valley Cities bought an 8-acre vacant lot off Pacific Highway with plans to build a five-building campus.

The non-profit says their first priority is to build a psychiatric unit for people with mental health issues.

“These would be people who most typically will be brought by police or ambulance,” CEO Ken Taylor said.

But it's the talk of building a methadone clinic that has many outraged.

“What kind of impact -- this influx, again, hundreds and hundreds of addicts -- could do to our kids?” resident John Born asked.

They are disappointed the city of Des Moines didn't block the center from moving there.

“This never came to the City Council,” Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan said, adding that even if it had, it would have been illegal for the city to block the center.

“All we can do with them is to see if they (Valley Cities) are open-minded to consider changes,” Kaplan said.

With all the uproar, they're now hoping Valley Cities will volunteer to move locations.

“No, honestly, that's not an option. We can’t move because we have $6 million into this deal; Valley Cities is a small nonprofit,” Taylor said.

But Taylor told Q13 FOX News he may reconsider building the methadone clinic.

“You know, anything is possible ... we are happy to participate in forming a group with the neighborhood to craft an agreement,” Taylor said.

“It would take a huge load off of my mind; it`s the single most security threat to our kids,” Born said.

Valley Cities says they will have good security and could employ up to 250 professionals, which they say is good for the local economy. They also emphasize they will have a medical and dental facility for low-income residents on campus.

But many opponents still say the recovery center will be dangerous to their community.