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Commission approves Templeton psychiatric hospital

January 15, 2016

Templeton hospital

The San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday in support of a proposed mental health hospital in Templeton. An appeal of the project to the board of supervisors is likely, though.

Harvey and Melanie Billig are seeking approval for a 91-bed psychiatric hospital, as well as a 55-to-60-bed assisted living facility for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia on a property off Las Tablas Road near Twin Cities Hospital.

Public opinion on the project has been split.

Proponents have noted the lack of mental health facilities in the county, which they say endangers local residents. Opponents of the project have voiced concerns about lower property values and patients endangering the safety of residents.

Last month, the planning commission discussed the project for more than three hours. The commission delayed ruling on the proposed psychiatric hospital until Thursday.

At the December meeting, Deputy County Counsel Whitney McDonald asked the commissioners to avoid discussing issues regarding mentally ill patients. State and federal laws prohibit the government from from considering disabilities when making decisions on land use issues.

Some of the opposition to the planned psychiatric hospital has come from San Luis Obispo development firm PB Companies. In 2014, PB Companies mailed a flier to residents in the area warning that approval of the Billigs’ project would result in lower property values and endanger residents.

PB Companies is working on a competing plan to build an 80-bed assisted living facility, which would also be located on Las Tablas Road in Templeton.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill, who may soon vote on the Billigs’ project, is a public advocate of PB Companies projects. Hill also received at least $10,001 in 2014 from a consulting company tied to the development firm.

Hill has already met with Harvey Billig about the planned psychiatric hospital and assisted living facility. Billig said Hill acted positively when they met and gave no indication he was opposed to the project. Hill did not discuss his paid consulting role, though, Billig said.


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91 beds??!! That is 75% of Twin Cities occupancy. That sized occupancy screams an attempt to bring in people from far away, not serve the needs of a local community.


Also did you ever notice how these projects seemed to get dumped in unincorporated parts of the county because they don’t have the representation to honestly consider the needs of the community?


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Will PB be involved in the administration of the Assisted Living facility they are going to develop? I shudder to think of the old folks in the care of anything they touch.


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The police service issue is a red herring.

When was the last time anyone heard of someone leaving “escaping” from a psychiatric hospital and causing anyone harm?

Joke about something else clever posters, your not funny. You contribute to the stigma of mental illness.


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This is a needed service. I cannot state this enough.


Are you all envisioning every single patient acting like Jack Nicholson from the Shining? Not everyone is a violent maniac. Chill. We have drugs to calm people down. Restrains. It will be O-K. I worry about people driving through our community with their wine club collections and auto refilled Xanax and Ativan more than this place.


Sheriff Ian Parkinson will be happy. He can ask the BOS for a chopper, a tank, some Humvees. It will be great.


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Psych facilities have protocols in place. This one will be no different. It will not be allowed to operate without being licensed and functional.


Having a place for people to go for treatment > people walking around community crazy and unmediated.


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We already have places like that, one is called Congress, another The White House, and then more locally Sacramento.


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acts, threats or attempts of serious violent behavior towards [self] or others


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Patient 1, Suite A: Hill, Adam.

Diagnosis: Chronic Affliction to Alcohol and a danger to others

Admittance Qualifications:

Laura’s Law: http://bit.ly/1ZpNXYE


“To qualify for the program, the person must have a serious mental illness plus a recent history of psychiatric hospitalizations, jailings or acts, threats or


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Let’s be more realistic here. It is actually much worse than that: 291.2 Alcohol induced major neurocognitive disorder, Amnesic confabulatory type. :)


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Melanie Billig is the ex-council/mayor of San Luis Obispo back in the 70’s. She has the support of the Democrat politicians so this was going to great approval from the start.


The major concern I have with this project is that this “91-bed psychiatric hospital, as well as a 55-to-60-bed assisted living facility for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia…” is that there is no local police services available in Templeton and they are going to rely on the services of Atascadero and Paso Robles Police Departments. Why should these cities provide Police Services? I didn’t see where the County was going to provide 24/7 staff at the Sheriff’s SubStation in Templeton. This is in the incorporated area of the County and the County needs to provide the police services. Paso and Atascadero are already overburdened with criminals booked and released and walking the streets plus the homeless.


They should be required, like ASH, to either have in-house police services available or contract with a private agency.


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The Sheriffs office and the CHP are both in Templeton, straw argument.


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Do you really a Sheriff’s Deputy will be sitting in the SUBSTATION and available. They CHP stanfs for California Highway Patrol and how is that associated with a PRIVATE MENTAL FACILITY? This will fall on the taxpayers of Paso and Atascadero in the end. These communities need to standdown until this is resolved and the burden is not imposed on the taxpayers. We will see! I will copy and print this out and then come back and ask CentralCoast RN and Freshair to cough up their contribution…and anyone else who thinks this will not be a problem.


No do miss understand me. I have no problem with the facility in itself. I have a problem with the LE Services not being properly addresses.


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And since Sheriff Ian Parkinson endorsed this, it should be his responsibility to provide what ever services are needed at this facility. Hopefully, this will be none but if that is not so, it should be fully his Department’s responsibility.


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PB = Pure Bullsh!t.


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And we all know who the first two first residents should be!


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