Detox Center Proposal Likely To Come Up At Tuesday's Wilmington Selectmen's Meeting

WILMINGTON, MA -- The Wilmington Board of Selectmen are expected to once again discuss the controversial proposal to build a drug addiction treatment facility at 362 Middlesex Avenue when it meets next week. According to the agenda for the meeting, which is Tuesday at 7 pm, the board will review three pieces of correspondence related to the project.

The proposal to build a 48-bed detox center has divided Wilmington residents. On one are residents who argue that the center is needed in Wilmington, which, like dozens of other Massachusetts towns, is facing an opioid epidemic. Wilmington Police have responded to 40 reported overdoses so far this year. On the other side are people like the petition signers, who have raised concerns about the quality of live and the impact on property values, as well as questions about the proposal's backers.

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Among the items to be reviewed:

• A letter from David Ray announcing his plan to withdraw from the group proposing the detox center. Ray released the note publicly last month after questions were raised about his history in the addiction treatment industry. The remaining partners have not withdrawn the proposal and ray indicated in his note that they plan to move forward without him.
• A memo from Wilmington Town Manager Jeffrey Hull on the project.
• A second memo from Hull on the legal opinion from town counsel on the zoning classification of 362 Middlesex Avenue.

Last month more than 100 residents attended the selectmen's meeting to voice opinions on the project, which Ray was publicly presenting for the first time. Since that meeting, an online petition has been circulated and, as of Friday, had more than 430 signatures opposing the project,

Patch file photo by Dave Copeland.

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