Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

ALBANY, GA --
The City of Albany Board of Commissioners met Tuesday to discuss a moratorium set onto National Mentor Healthcare.

The organization is looking to open a healthcare home for mentally disabled individuals in Albany.

The home would be located inside a residential neighborhood, at a normal house instead of a separated community. Residents around the projected site showed concern for what exactly was opening in their neighborhood.

Concerns ranged from amount of traffic around the home, to the possibility of these individuals posing a danger to local residents.

With those concerns in mind, the commission set a moratorium to give the matter increased thought. Tuesday, the organization, and several parents of future residents spoke to the board in hopes of lifting that moratorium.

Parents expressed that this was blatant discrimination against mentally handicapped individuals, however the board countered that their decision had to take everyone's concerns into account.

The current moratorium would expire in February, at which time a decision would be made.

National Mentor Healthcare states that they already have all the necessary permits to purchase the home and begin outfitting the property to accommodate these individuals. Their fear is that should the moratorium remain in effect, they will loose the home.

After an hour of discussion, the board has decided to delay their decision until their next scheduled meeting.

Stay connected to mysouthwestga.com for more on this story as it develops.