Homeowners fear possible psych unit across the street

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some northwest Harris County homeowners are worried about what could soon be built near their neighborhoods.

Folks living in the White Oak Lake Estates say a developer wants to construct a 25,000 square foot residential psychiatric treatment facility right across from them on Kluge Road, near Huffmeister. Concerned homeowner Robert Schima said, "We are right across the street and that may be the first place they are going to seek refuge."

Schima is like many homeowners who say they currently feel very safe in their neighborhood. They suggest that would change if psychiatric patients were living right across the street.

Their fears, though, are fueled by what they don't know. They say the developer has refused to meet with them to give specifics on the project. They've heard "level 6" patients would be treated at the facility, patients with a more severe level of psychosis.

"How secure is it? Is it run more like a prison or more like a hospital? Is it a lock down unit? What is it?" Jeff Carlyle, a concerned homeowner, wanted to know.

We reached out to the group which owns the land and their representatives even went by the home of one of their principal officers. So far no one has responded with any comment to our repeated efforts.

The property sits in unincorporated northwest Harris County. As such, there are fewer restrictions on what can be done with the land. Homeowners say there have been some attempts by others to purchase the property, or a portion of it, to keep the psychiatric facility from being built.