Local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — including Reps. Linda Kochmar, Carol Gregory and Tina Orwall — expressed their disapproval on Wednesday over the chosen location for the Woodmont Recovery Center.

The treatment and rehabilitation center, which Valley Cities plans to build in the Woodmont neighborhood of Des Moines, has received public backlash in recent weeks due to the facility’s close proximity to Federal Way Public Schools’ Woodmont Elementary.

Gregory, D-Federal Way, and Orwall, D-Des Moines, strongly recommended that the proposed center be sited farther from a public elementary school.

In a Sept. 15 letter, both state representatives clearly understood the critical mental health and chemical dependency services needed in South King County, but concluded siting this facility in a neighborhood is unacceptable.

“Tina and I are both strongly committed to finding a site for these essential services. However, after carefully reviewing this specific site, we determined this is clearly an unacceptable risk,” the legislators wrote, noting the proposed campus contains high acuity services, including a detox facility, a methadone clinic and an involuntary psychiatric facility.

Kochmar, R-Federal Way, said that while understands the need for such facilities in South King County, the chosen location further threatens an area that has its cut of public safety issues.

“Upon listening to input from local community members and stakeholders, I cannot support the chosen location for the Woodmont Recovery Center,” said Kochmar in a media release. “These services are greatly needed, but its current location has left the community it would serve feeling unsafe and vulnerable. It is essential we listen and develop a better plan to bring critical mental health and drug treatment services to South King County with state, local and community support.”

The facility would be located on Pacific Highway and North 16th Avenue and would also abut a public library.

Kochmar has suggested using the SCORE facility in Des Moines as an alternative for transporting and treating patients in a more secure area for the safety of both recovering patients and the community.

“I have worked with Valley Cities throughout the years and strongly support the work they do in our community. I have consistently supported their needs at the state level, and hope to continue to do so in the future,” said Kochmar in the media release. “Community members agree we need these services in South King County, but we must provide them in a responsible way.”

Kochmar said she will continue to work with city officials and community members to find a more appropriate site for the facility.

The Woodmont Recovery Center would provide involuntary inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, involuntary psychiatric treatment and other services.

Valley Cities received a grant for $1 million from King County and a $5 million grant appropriated in the state’s 2015-17 capital budget passed this summer.