A potential hurdle facing supporters of a sobering center in Grants Pass Ñ where to locate it Ñ has been decided, pending approval by the Urban Area Planning Commission.

The group simply known as Grants Pass Sobering Center has applied for a minor site plan review to change the use of a warehouse at 1010 S.W. Foundry St. in order to convert the building into a sobering center. The building is 4,700 square feet. The property is owned by the Gospel Rescue Mission, which operates a recycling center on the site.

The planning commission will consider the request Wednesday night.

An alliance of private and public concerns have been working together to establish a sobering center in Grants Pass. Representatives of the Gospel Rescue Mission are part of that group as well as the Ausland Group, and the city of Grants Pass.

Kelsy Ausland, an engineer with the Ausland Group, said the Foundry Street location is better than other potential sites that were considered.

“It’s a great place for this. It’s close to city services,” she said.

Interim Police Chief Bill Landis said the location, which is just a few blocks from the downtown business district, makes it quick and easy for officers to drop off intoxicated individuals.

Downtown merchants have had problems with under-the-influence transients for more than two years, a situation connected to layoffs in the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and corresponding reductions in space at the county jail.

Supporters have said the proposed facility won’t be a detox center and it won’t provide treatment. After people sober up they would be advised of the many local services that provide help and then be sent on their way. Organizers envision a center with 12 to 15 beds to be used on a short-term basis. Their research indicates the average stay at detox centers is 11 to 12 hours.

Funded through grants and donations, it will have a supervisor and enough staff to operate around the clock.

Without a sobering center, police either cite and release drunks, book them into jail or, in extreme cases, take them to Three Rivers Medical Center.

When the Grants Pass Sobering Center group launched its effort, members weren’t sure if they would have to purchase land or construct a building.

“This makes it much cheaper than starting from scratch,” Landis said.

The community should benefit financially in other ways as well.

In January, Landis told the Daily Courier that having a sobering center frees up officer time and reduces the costs of other facets of the criminal justice system, such as jail overhead and the District Attorney’s Office. Landis also said that having an established location will help make it easier to obtain grants to finish the project.

Members of Grants Pass Sobering Center in January said it will cost about $1 million to create and operate the center for a year. It’s unclear at this point how much that figure will be reduced by using the Foundry Street location.

In fact, Landis said the group hasn’t yet negotiated a lease with the mission for the property. That will come after approval is received from the planning commission.

Reach reporter Jim Moore at 541-474-3721 or at jmoore@thedailycourier.com