another NIMBY story to go with all the rest!

THis comes from THE SALEM NEWS and the original link is

http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x1617554664/Our-view-Need-is-there-but-methadone-clinic-should-go-elsewhere

Our view: Need is there, but methadone clinic should go elsewhere


Look beyond the hysteria, the political posturing and the NIMBYism, the fact remains that the former Jeffery Brothers furniture building on Salem's Canal Street is not the proper setting for a methadone clinic.

Even some of the most vocal opponents of the project acknowledge that such clinics perform a valuable service in helping to wean drug addicts from their dangerous habit. But they are right when they say a commercial building directly across the street from a residential neighborhood and without access to public transportation, is not where it belongs.

The for-profit Community Substance Abuse Center, which operates a similar facility on Route 1 in Peabody, may have grounds to challenge the legality of a hastily-introduced City Council order requiring medical clinics to obtain a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. But we would urge them to withdraw their plans and seek a more appropriate location for the treatment center.

They may well find that Salem, a highly congested community, does not offer a place with the relative isolation of their Route 1 clinic or others that operate in Lynn and Danvers. (Licensing Board officials made the same discovery a few years back when they sought to identify an area within the city that could be zoned for adult entertainment.)

But there's no reason Salem residents in need of treatment can't continue to avail themselves of facilities in other, nearby communities. Indeed, Salem already serves as a destination for troubled individuals from throughout the region who have business with the courts, the homeless shelter, the North Shore Medical Center and various agencies including CAB Health and Recovery Services and the state Sex Offender Registry Board that have offices at Shetland Park.

The neighbors and City Council have made clear their opposition to the Canal Street site, and their concerns are understandable. They also have a legitimate gripe with the secretive manner in which the provider negotiated a lease for the Jeffery Brothers property.

Police Chief Paul Tucker spoke for many Wednesday night when he talked of the horrific problem of drug addiction, which can affect families regardless of where they live.

"There really has to be a component of rehabilitation for somebody to get a hand up," he told the packed crowd at Salem State's Enterprise Center. "But it's a different issue of where that hand up is located."

There may be another, more suitable location for the clinic in Salem, which has a proud history of welcoming those from all walks of life and regardless of their circumstances. Such locations have been found in other communities where methadone clinics have operated for years with minimal problems. It might just be, however, that in this instance Salem residents in need of help will have to seek it out of town.