LYNN — Residents packed a neighborhood meeting Tuesday night at the City Council chambers to voice concerns over a proposed 40-bed sober home at 28 Linwood Road. The plan, many argued, would dramatically change the character of the surrounding residential neighborhood.
Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan, who hosted the meeting alongside Ward 5 Councilor Cardeliz Paez, made his opposition to the proposal clear from the start.
“I am opposed to increasing the beds in this facility to 40 beds in that neighborhood,” Hogan said, “I walk those streets all the time. I know what the neighborhood is. Absolutely too much in that neighborhood.”
The proposed sober home, which would be operated by Merrimack couple Forest and Taylor Lenhoff, who currently run a 30-bed men’s sober house in Beverly, is seeking zoning relief to expand the former nursing home property into a larger recovery residence.
Hogan argued that while sober homes deserve legal protections under federal and state law, the scale of the project does not fit the area’s residential makeup, which is mostly single- and two-family homes.
“While I fully recognize and respect the legal protections afforded to sober homes under both Federal and Massachusetts law, my concern is with the proposed increase in the number of beds at this particular location,” Hogan told The Daily Item prior to the event. “I believe it is important to protect the residential character of the neighborhood while continuing to support recovery and comply with the law.”
City Solicitor John Slattery also explained that the proposal had initially been denied because it lacked “sufficient parking spots” and resembled “a lodging house,” which is not permitted in an R2 zoning district. However, he noted the applicants are now seeking relief through the Zoning Board of Appeals.
“All of your constituents will have an opportunity to appear,” Slattery said. “The Zoning Board of Appeals will be scheduling a public hearing at which all the neighbors can come, and they can hear their position.”
Slattery added that under current requirements, the project would need 10 parking spaces to support 40 beds, but “at the present time… there are only 5 legitimate spaces.”
Much of the discussion centered on traffic and neighborhood safety, particularly because of the property’s proximity to the Tracy School.
Residents said the area already experiences heavy congestion during school pickup and drop-off hours, raising concerns about additional vehicles, rideshares, and foot traffic connected to the sober home.
“This use is materially different,” said resident A.J. Capano, who lives nearby.
“There’s different impacts on traffic, trash, emergency access, supervision, outdoor activity, and definitely neighborhood compatibility,” he added.
Other residents expressed unease over the transient nature of the facility, saying neighbors would never fully know who was living there because residents would frequently rotate in and out. Concerns were also raised about the possibility of relapses occurring within the home and whether the operators fully understood the needs and dynamics of the Lynn neighborhood.
The Lenhoffs attempted to ease concerns by explaining that the facility would strictly provide sober housing and not medical or clinical services. They also stated they could limit the number of residents allowed to keep vehicles on site in order to reduce parking impacts.
Still, many attendees left unconvinced, maintaining that a 40-bed facility would place too much strain on the neighborhood and fundamentally alter the character of the community.
