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Tom Armstrong's home for sex offenders isn't welcome in Columbia Borough.
Armstrong, whose first halfway house was chased out of Conestoga Township earlier this year, is now on thin ice in Marietta Borough. The former state representative is presently housing three sex offenders in his own Marietta home.
But Armstrong recently told Marietta officials the situation was a temporary fix until a permanent property for the program is secured in Columbia.
That's news to Columbia officials.
"As far as we know, no, that is not the case," council president Sandra Duncan said Monday.
Columbia Borough manager Norman Meiskey said the borough "is doing everything legally possible to protect the children of this borough from any sexual predator."
Mayor Leo Lutz was even more direct.
"We want to send a clear message to Mr. Armstrong," he said. "We don't want you in Columbia. Please go elsewhere."
The program Armstrong began in Conestoga Township was ordered out earlier this summer because it did not comply with local zoning ordinances. Marietta sent Armstrong a cease-and-desist order on June 16 for violating borough codes.Armstrong defended his right to house the men in his home, although he also said his wife and daughter were currently staying outside the area with a sick relative.
Columbia officials now want to make sure Armstrong's halfway house doesn't get a foothold there.
"There are avenues that he could take legally," Meiskey said. "But to the degree legally possible, no stone is unturned at this point. … We will do whatever we can as a borough to make sure that everyone is protected."
Lutz said Columbia officials, residents and business owners are working very hard "to change the image of this community. Something like this would not work with what we're trying to do. So we don't want it."
The borough is working with state legislators, the prison board and other county officials to try to block Armstrong from moving into Columbia, Lutz said.
"These people need to live somewhere," he said, "but I think it's a unanimous thought that we don't want these folks in Columbia Borough."
If it's not possible to bar them from the borough entirely, Lutz said, they still hope to restrict what portions of the borough would be open to them.
"We have spent an inordinate amount of time in dealing with this issue," said Councilwoman Mary Wickenheiser. "We will do everything possible and legal that we can to contain it and prevent it. … We are determined to stay on top of this."
(33) (31) (17) (4) (4) (4)Duncan said public outcry "is important in combating this kind of situation. … Keep this a hot-button item in all of your conversations. Speak out on it."
Armstrong did not attend a Monday evening meeting of Columbia Borough Council. But several residents did speak out against the plan.
"Keep Tom Armstrong out," said Louise Berg of 745 Walnut St.
Donald Haines of 451 Walnut St. called Armstrong's halfway house a "potential blemish on our community."
"If something like this does happen in our community, it's going to set back all of the progress that we have made," Haines said.
E-mail: tknapp@lnpnews.com
