Wilmington Detox Center Opponents Threatened

WILMINGTON, MA -- When Concerned Citizens of Wilmington met at the WCTV studios on Waltham Street Tuesday night, they asked for extra police patrols. The group -- which is behind a proposed zoning article that would limit where drug treatment facilities could be located in town -- told police they had received threats of vandalism, according to an entry in the Wilmington Police log.

Under the slogan "Right Time, Wrong Place," the group proposed a zoning law that will be considered at a special Town Meeting December 16 that would limit drug treatment facilities to areas zoned industrial. The group's effort comes amidst the ongoing debate of proposal to build a 48-bed detox center at 362 Middlesex Avenue.

The proposal for that center however, would be exempt from any new rules passed by Town Meeting. Earlier this month, backers of the proposal formally submitted their proposal to the planning board, meaning it would be grandfathered in under the existing zoning rules.

A spokesperson for Concerned Citizens of Wilmington was not available for comment Wednesday. But the threat of vandalism against the group is only the latest in an ongoing debate that has divided Wilmington residents since September, when backers of the detox center first went before selectmen to outline their plan. Selectmen have no formal approval authority over the project, but backers of the detox center said they wanted to have an open discussion about their plans.

Opponents' efforts have been spearheaded by Selectman Michael McCoy, who has been the most outspoken critic of the proposal on the five-member board. And what started out as opposition to a specific proposal for a 48-bed drug treatment facility has now expanded to an outright effort to all but ban any drug treatment facilities from locating Wilmington. While the location of the proposal that prompted Concerned Citizens of Wilmington to seek an overhaul of zoning laws was always a key flash point, other residents opposed the proposal because of the questionable track record of one of the project's key backers.

Even some of the opponents of the proposal conceded that, like many Massachusetts communities, Wilmington had been hard hit by the opioid epidemic. Many agreed that the town needed treatment facilities but wanted the town to better vet the operators of those facilities and consider the impact of potential locations.

"From the perspective of the police department, we need assistance. We need the help. It's heartbreaking. I sympathize with the folks that live in the neighborhood. I get it - I live in the neighborhood," Police Chief Michael Begonis said at Septmber meeting on the proposal. His comments echoed those of many people in Wilmington when it came to finding ways to address the opioid epidemic.

"I'm not here to tell you if this is the right location or the wrong location," Begonis continued. "My concern...is there are not a lot of people knocking on our door to help Wilmington specifically. I need beds because I've called at 5 o'clock on Friday night to try to get people help and they're your friends and neighbors."

More on this story:

• 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).