Burton Village Zoning Inspector Rick Gruber told village council June 22 the McIntyre Center has requested a business permit for the Red Maple Inn, confirming rumors the well-known bed and breakfast is likely to become a rehabilitation facility for teens and adults.
Burton Village Zoning Inspector Rick Gruber told village council June 22 the McIntyre Center has requested a business permit for the Red Maple Inn, confirming rumors the well-known bed and breakfast is likely to become a rehabilitation facility for teens and adults.
Deir Properties LLC, of Parma Heights, bought the Red Maple Inn at 14707 South Cheshire Street in February.
Jehad “J.D.” Deir is an addiction and abuse counselor and program director for the McIntyre Center.
The Red Maple Inn, located on 3 scenic acres next to the Century Village Museum, sold for $1.5 million, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office website.
Deir and his wife, Kelly McIntyre-Deir, took ownership of the McIntyre Center in 2011 upon the death of her parents, center founders Edie and Joe, according to the center’s website.
The family opened the center in 1985.
In a phone conversation Monday, Gruber said the request is under review, but the permit is likely to be issued.
“I’m not seeing anything leading me to deny it,” he said, adding the property is zoned S1, which means semi-public use, such as a hospital, is permitted without a hearing.
A rehabilitation facility meets the definition of a hospital, he said.
“There’s nothing I can do – it aligns with our zoning,” Gruber said.
So far, he has not received any plans from Deir to change the exterior of the building, he said.
According to the inn’s website, there are six guestrooms — two with fireplaces and balconies — and a fitness room on the lower level. The first floor includes a large dining room and an office.
Deir said in a phone interview June 23 he and his wife don’t have a concrete business plan for the operation of their Burton rehabilitation center but, visually, he doesn’t anticipate the building will change much.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful location with a calming environment,” he said, adding that will be therapeutic for individuals recovering from addiction.
Statistically, Deir said Northeast Ohio has one of the highest opioid addiction rates in the nation and there is a need for more such facilities in the region.
The Deirs purchased the inn Feb. 21 from Gordon Safran just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the nation to shut down, effectively putting the hospitality industry into a tailspin, Deir said.
The industry could take up to three years to recover, he said.
“We’re very vested in this,” Deir said, adding it would be premature to go into more detail about plans for the inn until all the zoning paperwork is complete.
