Pubdate: Sat, 24 Jan 2004
Source: Bristol Herald Courier (VA)
Copyright: 2004 Bristol Herald Courier
Contact: http://www.bristolnews.com/contact.html
Website: http://www.bristolnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1211
Author: Mike Still
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

CITY COULD FAST-TRACK ORDINANCE ON METH CLINICS

BRISTOL, Va. - The City Council could take pre-emptive action next week 
that would make it easier to keep a methadone clinic out of the city.

The council and the Planning Commission on Tuesday could fast-track a 
proposed change to the city's zoning ordinance that would require special 
exemptions for any substitution drug-treatment program involving methadone 
or other substances.

Mayor Jerry Wolfe said Friday that Bristol had not received requests or 
notification of any methadone clinic wanting to come to the city, but the 
move came amid a pending request to open one in neighboring Washington County.

"What has happened in Washington County has made us aware of the 
deficiencies in state law and how localities are notified," Wolfe said.

Washington County's county administrator, Mark Reeter, may decide this 
month whether to grant permission under the county's zoning law for a 
clinic on Old Dominion Road, near Lowry Hills subdivision and within a 
half-mile of John S. Battle High School.

The county's zoning ordinance does not specify that substance-abuse clinics 
are among the permitted or special-exemption uses in areas zoned B-2 
general business - the same zoning as the Old Dominion Road site.

But the county ordinance does permit drugstores and pharmacies; nursing 
homes and personal-care facilities without on-site residency; physicians', 
dentists' and other health practitioners' offices; and social-services offices.

Opposition to the clinic, which would be operated by Appalachian Treatment 
Services of Greenville, S.C., has come from individual supervisors, the 
county School Board and Sheriff's Office, Lowry Hills residents and state 
legislators from the county and Bristol.

City Planner Shari Brown said Bristol's current zoning ordinance allows 
methadone clinics in areas zoned B-3 business, which allows clinics, and 
office-institutional, which allows hospitals.

City Attorney Walt Bressler, who drafted the proposal, said the amendment 
would require a special exemption for substitution treatment clinics at a 
hospital whether it established a clinic within the hospital building or in 
a new building on its campus.

Under the proposed draft, Brown said, the City Council would have to decide 
whether to grant a special exemption for a clinic based on whether the 
clinic would be an appropriate use for the zoned area, would be necessary 
to the welfare of the city's residents, would pose any danger to city 
residents or would cause a decrease in value of property in the area where 
the clinic would operate.

The council and the Planning Commission plan to hold a joint public hearing 
on the amendment at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the city offices on Cumberland 
Street. Following that hearing, the council may consider the amendment.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman