Council approves rezoning neighborhood for Coulee Council on Addictions

Groundbreaking could be this fall with facility opening in May 

It just made it by the narrowest of margins.

The Coulee Council on Addictions (CCA) has received the 10 city council votes Thursday that were needed to rezone land along Ferry St. to build a new facility on a mostly residential block.

The property is owned by Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare.

The CCA needed a supermajority vote from the council, meaning it could only get three no votes, which is just what happened.

“We look forward to working with the washburn neighborhood — continue our commitment to be good neighbors and become an asset for the neighborhood,” CCA board of directors head Dan Radtke said. “This is a good thing for the city of La Crosse. It’s a good thing for the neighbors. It’s a good thing for the people in recovery.”

Opponents of the rezoning have argued that the city and CCA sprung the project on them by surprise three months ago and went back on promises to keep the neighborhood mostly residential. The facility will be built near Lincoln Middle School.

The CCA hopes to break ground for the building yet this fall and have it open by May.