The Bowling Green City Commission made a controversial decision Tuesday night to allow a men's alcoholic and drug recovery center to move into a neighborhood housing a home for victims of domestic violence.

It was a unanimous vote cast at the meeting to allow the men's recovery center to be in the city near BRASS and a daycare.

The commission did not open a whole new hearing, but went by the record planning and zoning established.

As a result, to be able to overturn Planning and Zoning's decision to allow the center to be there, they had to find something legally or procedurally wrong with what the Planning and Zoning Commission did.

It's something city officials said they didn't find.

"It's very difficult to disappoint people that you like, care about, and that you live in the community with, but the law is the law, and it's very clear here. I believe that planning and zoning complied with the law," said BG City Commissioner Brian "Slim" Nash.

The opposition is worried about the number of different homes and places that aren't compatible with this new center.

"They will be located in essentially a hub of both single family residences and a number of businesses which purposes and use completely contradict the type of facility that is planned," said Chris Davenport, attorney representing opposition.

One of the biggest issues raised Tuesday night was notification, a vague policy that is required by planning and zoning.

"We tried to contact all the property owners adjoining and near the property to explain to them the proposed use of this facility. If you look at the minutes, you will see a lot of people who testified admitted that yes we had contacted them about it. We had explained the program to them," said David Vickery, attorney representing applicant.

However, close establishments like BRASS said they were not contacted.

"We did not have to time to prepare, to get legal council to come together as a neighborhood group to present legally to the planning and zoning. We did the best we could, with the little time we had," said BRASS Executive Director Lee Alcott.

This is just the first reading, and it will not officially pass unless the commission approves the second reading.

If approved on the second reading, the opposition would have a chance to appeal the city commission's decision in Warren Circuit Court.