The Zanesville Board of Zoning Appeals will be deciding Thursday evening if a newly formed addiction services organization, Cairn Recovery Inc., will be able to open a recovery housing unit in the Putnam Historic District.

The building is located at 216 Hazlett Ct. and, as proposed by its owners, will house between 12 and 14 men at a time who may be referred by treatment centers and courts for treatment and recovery support.

The program lasts six months and is split into two phases with the first 90 days being dedicated to treatment for substance abuse and the last 90 days centered around preparing clients to enter the workforce and live on their own.

The founders of Cairn Recovery, Jarrett Barnhouse and Jesse Detlor, have both been in the position of the clients they seek to serve. 

“Jesse and I have experienced the true depths of the suffering that is caused by addiction to opioids, methamphetamines, alcohol, and other vices,” wrote Barnhouse in a statement to Y-City News. “We have also witnessed this suffering firsthand in others; close friends have died – lives cut short unnecessarily.”

Barnhouse and Detlor have been sober for 14 and 17 years respectively, but recognize they will always be recovering from addiction. 

“We use the word ‘recovering’ in the present tense; another important pillar of the recovery mindset is to appreciate that at any time we are one bad decision away from the depths of our addiction, and will never be ‘cured.’ If we are fortunate, we will remain in recovery for the remainder of our lives,” wrote Barnhouse.

Barnhouse now sits on the Washington County Behavioral Health Board while staying active in the community and recovery scene. 

He and Detlor both facilitate recovery meetings at state prisons as part of their volunteer work.

Their latest endeavor in Zanesville could allow for continued care of offenders upon their release if they have completed addiction treatment.

However, Barnhouse said most clients will be referred from residential treatment facilities.

“Our mission is to be dedicated to empowering our clients and assisting them with maintaining their recovery while reintegrating them back into society,” wrote Barnhouse. “It is the goal of Cairn Recovery to promote dignity and self-worth to our clients by encouraging healthy living in a safe and positive environment with emphasis on substance abuse treatment, structure, and re-entry into the workforce.”

Potential clients will be referred to Cairn and must be interviewed in-person to be considered for a bed.

“The facility will not be a ‘half-way’ house, nor will it operate under a transitional control guideline. Cairn Recovery will not accept any violent offenders nor sex offenders. The facility will not serve to house any prisoners at any time,” wrote Barnhouse. 

Barnhouse emphasized that clients will be under 24 hour surveillance by staff and cameras with security being of the utmost importance. 

“We literally want the cream of the crop, the winners. Those that are willing to go the extra mile. Those that have completed a program and in part are willing to participate and follow all the rules of our program. Short of that, they will not be available for intake, and if they violate those rules, they will be discharged,” said Cody Cain of Cairn’s clinical team. 

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, Barnhouse and other members of Cairn Recovery met with neighbors and business owners  in the Putnam area who’ve expressed their concern about the facility. 

One member of the Friends of Putnam, explained that Putnam is a highly saturated with social services and shelters which attracts many to the area.

“It’s getting overwhelming down here. People will walk up and down Putnam and up and down and you don’t know what they’re up to,” the member said. “It’s getting overwhelming. For one, you know, six-block radius, it’s a lot.”

President of the Friends of Putnam Joe Nezbeth told the representatives from Cairn that the area has essentially become a dumping ground for Zanesville that has impacted home and business values for those who have invested their money in the historic district. 

“How do we overcome the negativity? How do we resolve all of this with yet another facility in our neighborhood,” asked Nezbeth.

Cain responded to Nezbeth by saying he can empathize with his concerns and understands his desire to protect the community. 

“We’re not part of your problem, we’re trying to be part of your solution. And whether that means offering a little bit of hope, stability, a way out for those who are plagued in the community, that’s what we’d like to be,” said Cain. “We’d like to work with all you guys to do whatever we need to do to help assist you to return Putnam to the glory that it used to have.”

Should Cairn receive the approval needed to move forward, plans are to open by spring.

The Zanesville Board of Zoning Appeals meets Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. in the Zanesville City Council Chambers of City Hall.