Pubdate: Wed, 12 Jul 2000
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Copyright: 2000, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Contact:  414-224-8280
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Forum: http://www.jsonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimate.cgi
Author: Georgia Pabst, staff writer
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METHADONE CLINIC MAY RELOCATE

Zoning Appeals Board Will Decide If South Side Clinic Serving Poor Can Stay

Milwaukee Health Service Systems, which operates one of the few methadone
clinics that accepts indigent patients in Milwaukee County, says it is
willing to move its south side clinic - the question is where.

"Everywhere we go we face opposition," Thomas Dolan, an attorney for
Milwaukee Health Services told the city's Board of Zoning Appeals last week
at a hearing on its request for a conditional-use permit. The zoning permit
is needed for the clinic to remain at its current facility at 2778 S. 35th
St.

At the hearing, the zoning request again came under fire from neighbors in
the area who have complained for the last two years about parking problems,
noise and trash generated by clients who come to the clinic.

The neighbors were joined by Ald. Robert Donovan and by County Supervisor
Daniel Diliberti, who represent the area and said they oppose granting the
conditional-use zoning.

"They have been given second, third and fourth chances to comply and there
are still complaints," Diliberti said. "It's not that anyone is against the
program, it's just that we're against the problems the program brings."

The conditional zoning use is granted on a yearly basis.

Donovan said that he polled a large number of residents in the area and the
vast majority had problems and complaints with the clinic. One resident
kept a log of the problems he's observed, such as fights, double parking
and clients banging on the clinic door before it opens at 6:30 a.m.

"My feeling is that I'm not opposed to what they're doing, I just feel that
having the program in a residential neighborhood is not a good mix,"
Donovan said. "I've toured the clinic and it's fine. It's just the problems
outside that they can't seem to control."

Robert B. Kahn, one of the owners of Milwaukee Health Service Systems, said
the clinic has found another location where it could move, but once word of
the controversy at the S. 35th St. facility became known, opposition sprang
up in the proposed area, too. He said the proposed site also requires
conditional use zoning, but he would not say where it's located, except
that it's in a relatively isolated manufacturing district.

"We asked for another year so that we could relocate, anticipating another
fight. We need a bridge to get a new facility," Kahn said, adding that a
year would provide that needed time.

Kahn said the clinic over the years has tried to meet various requests from
the city, including posting guards, erecting fences, expanding the parking
lot, managing the parking and patrolling for cleanliness. He said the
complaints of the neighbors are not valid.

The clinic has about 325 clients that it treats at its south side facility,
including 90 indigent clients whose treatment is paid for by the county.
The clinic's other clients are either funded through Medicaid, private pay
or private insurance.

It also operates a similar facility on the north side at 4383 N. 27th St.,
where Kahn said there have been no complaints.

Deborah J. Powers, who is the state's methadone authority, said the only
other methadone program in the county that takes indigent clients is the
Eclipse program run by the Wisconsin Correctional Services.

A new methadone treatment program that has just opened in West Milwaukee
has applied to Milwaukee County for vendor status to treat patients, but
the county has not approved that application, said Thomas F. Winslow, an
administrator with Professional Review Network and Quality Addiction
Management, which also operates a program in Waukesha for private pay
patients.

Milwaukee Health Service Systems has operated at the 35th St. location
since 1993. A number of years ago, when the county terminated its methadone
treatment program, Milwaukee Health Service took over the program and
opened the 35th St. facility, Kahn said. He said that the facility is not
handling more patients than it did in the past. In fact, he said the
program handled more clients two years ago. "We're constantly under a
magnifying glass and always on the defensive, fighting the perception," he
said.

The Board of Zoning Appeals will decide the zoning issue on July 27. Board
chairman Craig Zetley said the decision will be a very difficult one.

"There's no doubt that this service is needed, and it seems there has to be
a place for the facility to be," he said. "This city and most politicians
are against it, and Kahn seems to be fighting the whole society. But there
are people who need to be treated and the worst thing is that they not be
treated. The neighbors are upset and rightly so."
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