NOBLE, Ga. -- Plans for a housing project in Walker County for recovering addicts came to a sudden halt Wednesday.

Noble community residents were upset that faith-based Freedom Counseling Services, a drug counseling center in LaFayette, wanted to build “halfway” houses on Bell Road. David Burris is director for the service.

Walker County Coordinator David Ashburn said he met with builders Wednesday morning and learned they plan to complete construction of one house, but would sell or lease the house in accordance with county ordinance.

The permit for one single-family dwelling was approved for construction, but the application did not include the true intentions. Ashburn said future plans were to build about 10 similar houses in the area, but now the center is looking to build in Chattooga County.

Neighbors protest

Walker County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Hill Morrison lives in the area and wasn’t happy about the development. As a police officer he believes in giving people second chances, but not in a residential neighborhood brimming with children.

“We just don’t want it in our neighborhood,” Morrison said. “There’s too many kids and it doesn’t need to be built there.”

Morrison said he and his neighbors were fearful that addicts might regress and increase crime in their quiet neighborhood.

“I don’t want to take that chance. If you get one or two that go bad, there is a possibility of burglaries because they’re going to steal to get what they have to have.”

Karen Whittle passed a petition around the neighborhood asking residents to oppose the construction.

“We got wind that it was going to be a drug rehab facility,” Whittle said. “Of course that concerned us greatly because we’re a neighborhood full of children.”

Whittle said she didn’t want their property values and peace of mind damaged by the institutional facility.

“I know there is a need for this, but not in a residential neighborhood. When you look at statistics you see that these people can backslide. You’ve too many horrible stories in the news about people needing drug money and we would be sitting ducks.”