Tarrant County intends to house its mental health jail diversion center in Fort Worth’s Fairmount neighborhood, not far from JPS Hospital.

The site, purchased in August, was originally home to the Good Life Senior Living. Members of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association and city council member Elizabeth Beck had scheduled a town hall at the proposed site, at 812 W. Morphy St. on Tuesday evening to discuss the project’s purpose and address potential concerns from residents.

The diversion center was announced in May with the goal of keeping low-level offenders out of jail. A spokesperson from the county said people will be allowed to stay at the center from 24 to 72 hours.

Beck, who said she supports the initiative, said that when she learned the center would be in a neighborhood, it was important to her to let residents know how it would operate in order to ease concerns they may have. She said a couple of people have reached out with concerns but that the overwhelming response from the neighborhood was one of support. Beck said people weren’t going to be “turned loose” once released from the facility.

“I am beyond thrilled that the county is really taking this bold step forward in how we treat homelessness and mental health and crime in the community,” Beck said. “But I understand how hearing the words ‘jail diversion center,’ if you haven’t been educated on how it will operate can be scary, particularly if you know, that’s going in a couple blocks in their house.”

County commissioners originally intended to receive and file the charter for the advisory board at Tuesday’s meeting. During a public comment period for the agenda item, Leon Doneski, who said he lives just a street over from the intended site of the center, told commissioners the county failed to reach out to people living in the neighborhood regarding the center.

Doneski said he and other neighbors had questions about the center’s effect on public safety and quality of life, and requested that a neighbor be included in the advisory as the “eyes and ears.”

“Again, the 76104 ZIP code currently has the lowest life expectancy in the state of Texas,” Doneski said. “So my neighbors and I are just very concerned and would like to learn more about this.”

Following the meeting, County Judge Glen Whitley said the county had talked with MHMR and made sure the site was zoned correctly, but it did post notices about the center because of “NIMBYs.”

Whitley said that MHMR has group homes across the county, and that even though this wasn’t classified as a group home, MHMR knew what it meant to “be a good neighbor.” He said the site was a good location for the center just by the nature of its proximity to the hospital.

Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the charter for the center’s advisory board, with an addition of a neighborhood resident appointed by the area’s City Council member. Beck represents Fairmount.