A methadone clinic has asked the town of Scarborough about moving into town, which has led town officials to review the zoning ordinances to ensure they are properly equipped to handle such a facility.
The issue was to be discussed at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, after the Current’s deadline, when the council was expected to vote on whether to enact an emergency moratorium pending a Planning Department review of the zoning ordinances, including discussions on the definition and possible locations of a methadone clinic.
According to Town Manager Ron Owens, a company approached the town last week. Owens declined to name the company, but described the inquiry as “informal.”
“We don’t have a specific proposal, we’ve just had an inquiry,” Owens said.
Nonetheless, the question led town officials to question where such a facility would be located. There is no specific reference to methadone clinics in the zoning ordinances and the general belief is that the use would fall under the professional office category, Owens said.
This would allow such a facility to be located anywhere in town expect for the single-family zone. Often professional offices are located in mixed-use areas and are close to residential areas. In addition, under current zoning ordinances if a facility meets the professional office definition it can be located in an existing building without review by the Planning Board or Board of Appeals.
“You really need to have a separate definition for something like a methadone clinic,” Owens said.
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