The Castle Rock Town Council on Tuesday approved a 48-bed youth mental health facility to be located in the Metzler Ranch neighborhood.

At a meeting attended by mental health advocates, neighbors and a former Denver Broncos running back, councilmembers voted 5-2 in favor of the facility.

During the initial discussion on Aug. 20, a divided council voted 4-3 to rezone a section of the Metzler Ranch neighborhood to allow a Sandstone Care facility. It will treat teens between the ages of 13 and 17.

Sandstone expects to open its new facility at 864 Barranca Drive, once a care center for people over 60, in 2025.

Founded in Denver in 2015, Sandstone operates 25 locations nationwide with nine in Colorado. The provider serves young adults battling mental health issues by providing residential treatment, outpatient services and transitional living.

Sandstone officials said the existing building is well-suited to provide voluntary care for teens needing mental health care.

As proposed, the facility will provide medical, clinical and nursing care for mild to moderate mental health conditions for the young adult age group. The facility will treat anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, low energy, loss of appetite or a combination of symptoms. Sandstone officials estimate 20% of young adults could benefit from their services.

The facility addresses a need for more youth mental health beds in the state.

Just three years ago, Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency for kids’ mental health and called for more youth mental health beds in the state.

“This is a great opportunity to provide a service that is desperately needed,” Councilmember Max Brooks said on Tuesday.

Patients would live in the Sandstone Care Center from 45 to 60 days and there would be a maximum of 48 beds.

Prohibited would be outpatient care and treatment of severe mental health conditions, drug or alcohol abuse, and court-ordered or criminal patients, according to Sandstone officials.

Directly west of the proposed mental health clinic is a neighborhood across Stampede Drive. To the north is a commercial-use area with a preschool, a medical center, fast-food restaurants and small businesses.

During last week’s meeting, some residents expressed fear that patients would escape, hide in the neighborhoods or commit crimes.

“I don’t see it being harmonious for the community,” one Metzler Ranch resident previously said. “These are borderline adults that need to take responsible action, so let’s not treat them like children.”

Sandstone officials said the care facility will be secured with cameras, 24/7 staff and a wristband system for patients.

“The kids in our community are suffering from anxiety and depression. They are not plotting an escape plan,” a Sandstone spokesperson told councilmembers on Tuesday. “They all want to be here.”

Among a handful of speakers on Tuesday night was former Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball, also an employee at Sandstone.

“If I wasn’t here,” Ball said, “I would be doing our youth a disservice for not speaking up. Having mental health conditions requires these kids to need a community to support them.”

“I think we all agree this is a huge need in our community,” said Councilmember Ryan Hollingshead, who is also the principal at Ponderosa High School. “Certainly, the fear of it being in a neighborhood is what we are discussing.”

In supporting the measure, Hollingshead said, “These kids have a conversation with their support to go to a place like this. These aren’t the kids that are looking to cause trouble.”

“This is an extremely difficult decision,” said Councilmember Laura Cavey, who voted against it on first and last readings. “It’s not because we don’t want to help children, or I don’t want to help children. It’s the location.”

Councilmember Tim Dietz also balked at the proposed location and voted against the proposal.

“I truly believe, too, we have a mental health crisis with our youth,” Cavey said on Tuesday. “The challenge for me still stands. I have not received any positive feedback from anyone in that neighborhood.”

Only one resident spoke in opposition on Tuesday, citing fellow neighbors’ desires for increased security and closed-door policies.

Mayor Pro Tem Desiree LaFleur also called it a tough situation.

“Unfortunately, when the facility was built, the homes and the facilities around it were under a certain understanding, and now that is being asked to be changed,” she said two weeks ago. “And, the neighbors are clearly having a hard time.”

On Tuesday, LaFluer asked Sandstone to consider more security guards on premise She was the only councilmember to change their vote to “yes.”

Mayor Jason Gray supported the proposal.

“I’ve had friends, and relatives, who have lost children, and I just don’t think I can sit by and say no to helping our community,” Gray previously said. “I can’t stand by and say no to a program that I think is needed in our community, and that can help this community.”