Wilmington Just Says No To Rec Pot Sales, Detox Facilities

WILMINGTON, MA -- Wilmington Special Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported a new zoning rule that would limit medical facilities -- including drug treatment centers like the one being proposed for 362 Middlesex Avenue -- to areas of town zoned industrial. Also on Saturday, Wilmington voters supported new rules that would ban recreational marijuana establishments from opening in town.

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. And an October opinion from town counsel 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.

Despite those wrinkles in the debate, Article 2 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. The new rules do not affect medical offices.

"You're not solving the problems for residents at large," Hull said shortly before the vote, noting that drug treatment facilities could locate in industrial areas and still be close to residential neighborhoods. "You're just shifting the problem to different neighborhoods."

The ban on recreational marijuana sales and establishments, which passed 268-15, means Wilmington will forgo the chance to collect a local sales tax on marijuana sales. Towns and cities that allow recreational marijuana sales can collect up to a 3% sales tax in addition to the 17% state tax on those sales.

More on this story:

• 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).