AG Approves Wilmington Drug Treatment Center Ban

WILMINGTON, MA -- The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey approved a new Wilmington zoning law on Tuesday that limits medical facilities -- including drug treatment centers like the one being proposed for 362 Middlesex Avenue -- to areas of town zoned industrial. Special Town Meeting had passed the law in December. The new rules will not impact the 362 Middlesex Avenue proposal, which has already filed an application with the town and is grandfathered in under the old rules as it works its way through the local approval process.

The AG office's approval contradicts an October opinion from town counsel that noted that the Massachusetts Attorney General's office would likely shoot down the law if it passed town meeting, as it had done to a similar zoning law passed by the town of Millbury. In that instance, the Attorney General said by singling out facilities that serve people seeking treatment for drug addiction, the zoning law violated discriminated against people with disabilities.

The law passed by Wilmington, however, was broader and covered all medical facilities but includes exclusions for medical offices. The new rules passed town meeting by a vote of 366 to 62, well above the two-thirds majority needed to implement the new rules into the town's zoning code.

Selectman Michael mcCoy, who spearheaded the effort and worked with a group called Concerned Citizens of Wilmington, said Thursday that his only concern was the location of such facilities.

"It was stated many times by the Concerned Citizens and myself that we understood the nationwide opioid epidemic and we want to see people get the help they need," McCoy said in a news release. "The bone of contention was over one word: location. We didn't want these facilities within neighborhoods or abutting hundreds of homes in residential areas."

The proposal for 362 Middlesex Avenue will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a continued public hearing on August 8. "The fight is not over for the residents who live in that neighborhood and the Concerned Citizens. They helped protect your neighborhood by getting this zoning change implemented, now they need your help," McCoy said.

More on this story:

• Wilmington Just Says No To Rec Pot Sales, Detox Facilities (12/17/2017)
• Wilmington Detox Center Opponents Threatened(12/6/2017)
• Wilmington, It's Not Over: Letter To The Editor(12/2/2017)
• Selectman, Wilmington Resident Battle Over Detox Center Proposal (11/19/2017)
• Wilmington Detox Center Saga To Continue At Special Town Meeting (11/7/2017)
• Wilmington Selectman: Town Manager Is 'A Sneaky Little Weasel'(11/1/2017)
• Wilmington Detox Center Opponents Force Town Meeting: Report(10/27/2017)
• Wilmington Official Who Would Decide Fate Of Detox Center Calls Drug Addicted 'Junkies'(10/16/2017)
• Wilmington Detox Facility Backers Considering Other Sites For Controversial Proposal (10/10/2017)
• Residents Start Petition Opposing Wilmington Detox Facility Proposal (10/5/2017)
• Who Are The Other Partners Behind The Wilmington Detox Center Proposal? (10/4/2017)
• Lead Backer Pulls Out Of Group That Wants To Build Wilmington Drug Addiction Treatment Facility(9/27/2017)
• More Questions, Concerns Raised About Wilmington Detox Facility Backer, Proposal (9/27/2017)

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).