The Arizona Republic
June 10, 2003 Tuesday Final chaser Edition
BYLINE: By Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 5B
LENGTH: 428 words
GLENDALE PLANNERS REJECT METHADONE CLINIC PERMIT; BUSINESS OWNERS,
RESIDENTS FOUGHT DOWNTOWN SITE
George Stavros is looking for a new home for a methadone clinic in downtown Glendale.
The Glendale Planning Commission on Thursday unanimously denied Community Medical Services a permit to continue operating at a building at Lamar Road and 55th Avenue.
"We'll move, but we have to have a little time to do that," said Stavros, clinic medical director. "We've let our patients know we have to move, but we will take care of them."
Glendale officials filed an injunction in Maricopa County Superior Court to stop the clinic from operating. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, and a judge will likely decide how much time the clinic will have to relocate.
The clinic, which provides substance abuse counseling and methadone treatment, has been operating at the location since January.
After listening to nearly three hours of angry comments from residents and business owners, and pleas from recovering drug addicts, the Planning Commission denied an operating permit to the clinic.
Stavros said the company did not plan to appeal the commission's decision. He said the clinic, which provides methadone treatment, mental health and substance abuse counseling, would look for a space with better zoning that is close to bus service.
Residents complained of increased crime in the area and said that the company tried to sneak into the neighborhood without notifying residents. Business owners said clients of the clinic were causing property damage, stealing and scaring away customers and vendors.
"I'm disappointed," Stavros said. "And I'm sorry that the public feels the way they do. We never did anything underhanded."
Glendale Police Lt. Layne Slapper told commissioners there was not a significant difference in police calls or criminal reports since the clinic arrived in downtown, compared with last year.
A few recovering drug addicts tried to sway the commissioners, testifying nervously that the clinic changed their lives.
Colleen Conerty, a Glendale woman who, with the help of methadone, is recovering from a 25-year drug addiction, objected to the way clients were characterized.
"The clinic is not the problem," she said. "The problem is people not knowing what methadone is or what the clinic is about."
Some business owners, however, talked about how the clinic had affected their businesses.
"This is not in an appropriate area," said Ruben Gutierrez, one of the leaders of the Heart of Glendale, a neighborhood association. "It just doesn't work."
Reach the reporter at monica.dunsmoor@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6925.
Copyright 2003 The Arizona Republic
All Rights Reserved
The Arizona Republic
June 10, 2003 Tuesday Final chaser Edition
BYLINE: By Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 5B
LENGTH: 428 words
GLENDALE PLANNERS REJECT METHADONE CLINIC PERMIT; BUSINESS OWNERS,
RESIDENTS FOUGHT DOWNTOWN SITE
George Stavros is looking for a new home for a methadone clinic in downtown Glendale.
The Glendale Planning Commission on Thursday unanimously denied Community Medical Services a permit to continue operating at a building at Lamar Road and 55th Avenue.
"We'll move, but we have to have a little time to do that," said Stavros, clinic medical director. "We've let our patients know we have to move, but we will take care of them."
Glendale officials filed an injunction in Maricopa County Superior Court to stop the clinic from operating. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, and a judge will likely decide how much time the clinic will have to relocate.
The clinic, which provides substance abuse counseling and methadone treatment, has been operating at the location since January.
After listening to nearly three hours of angry comments from residents and business owners, and pleas from recovering drug addicts, the Planning Commission denied an operating permit to the clinic.
Stavros said the company did not plan to appeal the commission's decision. He said the clinic, which provides methadone treatment, mental health and substance abuse counseling, would look for a space with better zoning that is close to bus service.
Residents complained of increased crime in the area and said that the company tried to sneak into the neighborhood without notifying residents. Business owners said clients of the clinic were causing property damage, stealing and scaring away customers and vendors.
"I'm disappointed," Stavros said. "And I'm sorry that the public feels the way they do. We never did anything underhanded."
Glendale Police Lt. Layne Slapper told commissioners there was not a significant difference in police calls or criminal reports since the clinic arrived in downtown, compared with last year.
A few recovering drug addicts tried to sway the commissioners, testifying nervously that the clinic changed their lives.
Colleen Conerty, a Glendale woman who, with the help of methadone, is recovering from a 25-year drug addiction, objected to the way clients were characterized.
"The clinic is not the problem," she said. "The problem is people not knowing what methadone is or what the clinic is about."
Some business owners, however, talked about how the clinic had affected their businesses.
"This is not in an appropriate area," said Ruben Gutierrez, one of the leaders of the Heart of Glendale, a neighborhood association. "It just doesn't work."
Reach the reporter at monica.dunsmoor@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6925.
Copyright 2003 The Arizona Republic
All Rights Reserved
The Arizona Republic
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Kritik yang membangun akan membantu di masa yang akan datang 😁😁😁