Selectmen to discuss extending methadone moratorium (WARREN, MAINE)

Selectmen to discuss extending methadone moratorium



Warren — Selectmen will meet with members of a town committee Wednesday, May 18 to discuss extending the moratorium on methadone clinics in town for another six months.

The meeting will start 7 p.m. at the town office.

About 245 residents turned out to a special town meeting at the Warren Community School Dec. 13 and voted by an overwhelming majority in favor of the original six-month moratorium on methadone clinics. The goal was to give the committee time to draft ordinance language regulating such clinics in town.

Town Manager Grant Watmough said selectmen will only discuss the issue at the May 18 meeting. They are required to hold a public hearing before they can vote to extend the moratorium. He said the public hearing will likely be held June 1.

Committee Chairman Michael York said the committee is seeking an extension of six months, but intends to have the work done much sooner.

In addition to receiving advice from town attorney Patrick Mellor, the town will seek help from an attorney specializing in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protects drug addicts.

Watmough said the town will likely hire an attorney from the Preti Flaherty firm to help in this work.

The moratorium and proposed ordinance changes were prompted by a proposal from CRC Health Group to open a methadone clinic in the former school on School Street. Businessman Robert Emery had a purchase and sale agreement to buy the former school.

On May 4, Mellor wrote a letter to Emery's attorney, stating, "As you know, over two months ago we informed your client and your office that, as a result of your client's breach of the applicable contract, the contract is null and void." The town argues Emery's company Vixen Land Holding LLC failed to comply with a portion of the contract requiring that the buyer seek a written commitment from a lender.

This was in response to an April 29 letter to the town of Warren in which the attorney representing Vixen Land Holding LLC, Samuel Cohen, said the company was ready to close on its proposed purchase of the former elementary school.

Reached by phone, Cohen said he had no comment for this story.

original link to this story from the Maine Herald Gazette Village Soup is
http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/selectmen-to-discuss-extending-methadone-moratorium/399336