Hundreds oppose proposed detox center next to SE Portland elementary school

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Thursday marks the deadline to comment on a proposal to build a short-term detox facility next to Gilbert Heights Elementary School in Southeast Portland.

Parents and neighbors say the location raises safety concerns, but organizers behind the project say it’s about expanding access to treatment.

When students return to Gilbert Heights Elementary next week in Southeast Portland, they’re sure to see some changes.

But what’s planned just next door at 12711 SE Holgate Blvd. — a former retirement home — has some parents like Erin Huynh worried.

“I can’t even volunteer in my kid’s classroom without a background check, and I’m pretty sure that that’s not going to be happening for the people that are at the facility,” Huynh said.

Just over the fence, Rose City Detox plans to turn the former retirement home into a 20-bed, state-licensed short-term detox and rehab facility where people in crisis could stay for up to 10 days.

Billy Anderson, Rose City Detox executive director, said, “It’s important to me to give back as much as I can and help with the need that’s present.”

Anderson grew up just down the street and knows this struggle firsthand.

After years battling heroin addiction, he got help — and now wants to run his own treatment center to help others.

“We’ve set a lot of parameters in place to make sure that the safety of the community was our utmost priority before these conversations ever started,” Anderson said.

He added that he’s working with the school and community to address concerns, adding a fence, security cameras, and taking clients by appointment only to avoid lines.

But Huynh started a petition, which has already collected more than 200 signatures, asking the city to deny the project.

“I can’t imagine anybody thinking that people going through active addiction should be sharing a fence line with a kindergartner’s recess playground. It’s just something that I don’t want my kid or other kids to be exposed to,” Huynh said.

Huynh explained she supports addiction recovery, just not next to a school.

City planners with Portland Permitting and Development can deny the project if they believe it threatens safety or neighborhood livability under city zoning codes.

Rose City Detox argues that their team is trained, and stigma shouldn’t stand in the way of care.

“I just want the folks to know that there is a place that cares. There is a place that wants to see them run to the next steps of their journey,” Anderson said.

The city will decide by Dec. 3, 2025, to approve, deny, or add conditions to the plan.

Residents can submit comments to Portland Permitting and Development by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.