Second In A Series Of Reports
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The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
Holly Newton is a resident and concerned citizen of Hixson, Tennessee. After learning that an addiction recovery house was located in her neighborhood of Chase Meadows, she set out to alert local and state authorities and ask how such a facility could be located next to an elementary school and family homes.
An early morning shooting that involved a resident of Oxford House occurred on November 22, 2024, elevating the concerns of nearby residents because school children had been walking by only 4 minutes ahead of the shooting incident. The house has a record of frequent police calls, including one that occurred at 2:30 AM on Saturday December 14, 2024.
Newton sent a letter advising multiple public officials of the danger to her community.
In reference to an email sent by Newton and other residents of Chase Meadows, the Hamilton County District Attorney responded, in part, as follows concerning Oxford House, acknowledging that, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction, Oxford House is “run by offenders.”
“First, your concerns are extremely valid. Most significantly, my concern is the facility’s proximity to Hixson Elementary School.”
“Since I received your emails I have become more familiar with [Oxford House] and I have learned that there are several of these facilities around Chattanooga and that this may not be the only one that is in a residential neighborhood (which is surprising to me).”
“Oxford House is not an approved facility by the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC). TDOC maintains a list of rehabilitation facilities that they have legitimized for purposes of parolees residing. Oxford House is not approved for individuals on parole because it is “run by offenders”. It is my understanding that TDOC has identified the administrators of the facility and the program as individuals who have been involved in the justice system previously.”
“We requested the property/deed/tax information from the registrars office and the tax card (attached to this email) is what stands out to me. Not surprisingly, this property is residentially zoned for **Single family residences. It would appear to me that it is not being used as a single family residence.”
“While I certainly understand the value of our local rehabilitaties facilities, it is my strong opinion that halfway houses that house criminal defendants should not be able to operate in residential neighborhoods and certainly not near elementary schools.”
– said Coty Wamp, Hamilton County District Attorney
Chattanooga City Councilman Ken Smith, whose district includes the residential neighborhood where the Oxford House is located, researched the frequent police calls associated with the address of the recovery house and provided the following graphic image highlighting the last 10 of the 21 calls to the property.
Councilman Smith has won the respect of the Chase Meadows community for his interest in resolving the concerns of citizens.
The Hamilton County Superintendent of Schools responded as follows to the concerns expressed by the residents of Chase Meadows after the shooting that occurred near Hixson Elementary School.
“Thank you for the email. We are aware of the incident that occurred last week. I have copied Robert Shape and Ben Coulter from our operations department to look into this and see if there are any laws being violated. Again, thanks for sharing your concerns.” – said Justin Robertson, Superintendent, Hamilton County Schools
As of the publication date of this report, residents of Chase Meadows still have many questions about the Oxford House and are waiting on public officials to resolve their safety concerns.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
