Lee County neighbors call for shutdown of rehab facility over code violations

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

Neighbors in a rural Lee County community are demanding the closure of the New Life Dream Center, a drug and alcohol rehab facility, due to multiple code violations and unpermitted construction. Documents obtained by Gulf Coast News reveal three active code violations tied to the facility, located on Deer Run Farm Road. Residents have expressed concerns about the facility's impact on their neighborhood.

Josh Kessler, who lives next door, said, "The exit plumbing they put together, it goes right onto my property, right into my lake."

Lee County inspectors have cited the New Life Dream Center for three zoning violations: operating the wrong type of business for the property, construction and remodeling done without permits, and property maintenance and safety problems.

Steve Detar, a neighborhood resident, said, "After you find out how many people are living there, that's a single-family residence. It's not made for that many people."

Michael Halperin, a longtime farmer in the area, emphasized the importance of minimizing impact on neighbors, saying, "Part of my philosophy is to minimize impact on neighbors."

Halperin added, "They need to find an ideal location, and I don't think that is an ideal location."

Marsha, another neighbor, expressed her desire for the facility to be shut down, stating, "I would like to see it shut down! I would like to see them not allow it."

The residents of the facility have criminal records, a fact that Gaspar Anastasi, a pastor who runs the center, addressed last month, saying, "None of these people are at that place of being dangerous at all. It's like living in your home. They're not dangerous."

In response to the zoning violations, Anastasi said, "We take the code violations that have been brought to our attention very seriously and are diligently working toward full compliance." He noted that contractors have been hired to address the issues, with a reinspection scheduled for April 2.

Neighbors believe these violations validate their concerns and plan to continue pushing for the facility's closure.

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