HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — A town hall meeting turned heated as residents and mental health advocates debated the location of a proposed mental health facility in an Oak Arbor neighborhood.
The Asha Vista Behavioral Institute plans to open a 78-bed facility in a former assisted living center in front of the neighborhood, following a settlement agreement with Horry County.
A town hall meeting turned heated as residents and mental health advocates debated the location of a proposed mental health facility in an Oak Arbor neighborhood. (Credit: Kara Riskus/WPDE)
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Some residents expressed concerns about safety and property values, with one resident stating, “Let them sue us. I would rather spend my tax on dealing with it that way than finding a place where people can really heal.”
Asha Vista argues the facility is needed due to a lack of treatment beds in the area.
However, Gina Waller, director of the Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital, disputed this claim, stating, “At Lighthouse, we have 105 acute care stabilization beds… we are never full.” 
A town hall meeting turned heated as residents and mental health advocates debated the location of a proposed mental health facility in an Oak Arbor neighborhood. (Credit: Kara Riskus/WPDE)
Fran Sauvageau, CEO of Asha Vista, responded, “There aren’t enough beds for this population, especially in the south stretch.”
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During the meeting, Asha Vista representatives agreed to work with residents to address safety concerns.
The Horry County Council is set to vote on the proposal on Feb. 3.