NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City commissioners approved a zone change Monday for a 14th Street property that Mission Field Administrator Vic Johns called suitable for building awareness of illegal drug problems and reaching solutions.

Johns: “We purchased the building with the intent to use it for employee training for Mission Field Treatment Center.”

He said a community outreach center is also a possibility.

Johns: “We’ve done some training with the local schools, a couple area schools, on drug education, identifying drug paraphernalia and also what to look for as far as symptoms. We hope to use this facility primarily to reach out and gain greater understanding of the problem that we have with drugs in the community and how we can confront that.”

It will also be available for outpatient, family counseling.

Vic and Jeri Johns purchased 218 N. 14th St. The building is a former church and medical clinic and has most recently hosted Bright Beginnings Childcare.

The Nebraska City Planning Commission recommended the zone change, noting that residential office is the actual use of most of the building’s history.