Monday, March 25, 2013

TGN Petition targets proposed treatment facility

3/25/2013 6:39:00 AM
Petition targets proposed treatment facility
Town residents continue to voice concerns over McLean Hospital's proposed project
Mark Haranas
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — Residents along Baldwinville Road are trying to halt a proposed treatment facility from coming to their neighborhood, filing a citizens petition that is likely to be voted on at the May Annual Town Meeting.

“This is about the safety of the 30 to 50 kids that live and play near where this treatment facility is looking to move in,” said Dana Quinones, a resident of Sunrise Drive whose property abuts the proposed facility’s site at 676 Baldwinville Road. “There’s a school bus stop right on the corner, Baldwinville (Elementary) School is right down the street ... There’s a licensed day care on this street, and there’s going to be a treatment facility taking care of people with substance problems right in the middle of our neighborhood? It’s concerning everyone around here.”


In November, the Belmont-based nonprofit McLean Hospital first proposed a 22-patient facility at the corner of Sunrise Drive and Baldwinville Road to serve patients in the latter stages of recovery from substance abuse and psychological issues.

On Feb. 26, a hearing on the facility scheduled to take place in the town offices at 690 Patriots Road was postponed due to an overflow of people. The hearing was rescheduled, and then was again pushed back until April 9 at Narragansett Regional High School’s KIVA conference room because of weather.

Ms. Quinones gathered enough signatures from neighbors, residents and town officials to file a petition seeking several changes to local bylaws that would restrict such a facility from moving into the neighborhood.

“We want a bylaw that will protect day cares and schools,” said John Butts, another resident of Sunrise Drive. “We want individuals who are at the treatment facility to have CORI checks and give that information to the (Templeton) Police Department.”

The petition is seeking to restrict such a facility from being located within 5,000 feet of any school building or licensed day care. It also would require that individuals at a substance rehabilitation facility for more than 48 hours undergo and pass a criminal background check, which the hospital currently does not conduct on patients.

The town clerk’s office has certified the citizens petition, although the language will likely be reworked before heading for a town meeting vote in May.

“We’re not against treatment facilities in town,” said Rachel Messina, who lives near the proposed site and helped write the petition. “This is just the wrong place to put it. They can find some place in town where they don’t need to use the Dover Amendment.”

Chapter 40A, Section 3 of Massachusetts General Law — commonly known as the Dover Amendment — exempts agricultural, religious or educational nonprofit organizations from certain zoning restrictions. It allows such entities to bypass local zoning to build or expand a facility to provide the needed services.

The primary or dominant purpose of the facility must be educational, a criteria McLean Hospital has been deemed to meet.

McLean officials have provided information regarding their positive track record with facilities in communities around the state, including two in Princeton and Ashburnham.

Police officials and assessors from Princeton and Ashburnham report they have not encountered significant safety problems or concerns with either treatment facility in their communities over the years, and say property values have not diminished in neighborhoods where the facilities are located.

Leominster-based engineering firm Whitman & Bingham Associates conducted a site plan review of the proposed facility that did not result in significant issues with the project.

Residents are continuing to express concerns about the facility, such as having an designated smoking area outside as well as traffic issues in their neighborhood.

“Second-hand smoke kills,” said Mr. Butts. “We’re also going to be having kids running around with more traffic here and big vehicles coming in like dump trucks, emergency vehicles (and) a bus that shuttles patients between their Belmont main campus and Templeton ... This will change the character of this neighborhood forever.”

Ms. Quinones said both the designated smoking area and Dumpster at the proposed treatment facility will be within 50 feet of her property and where her children currently play.

Opponents of the facility have been going door-to-door talking to residents about the project.

“People think this is a done deal — it’s not,” said Ms. Messina.

23 comments:

  1. Do people in the sunrise Dr.area realize that there are already
    Drugs in town and does this mean all bars need to shut down
    and how many times has someone drove there auto after having a few thru your nice little neighborhood some of your neighbors
    maybe.when your at Cumberland farms with your kids do you really
    Know who people in the store are buying things,course not.so why are you so against a facility at lease you are aware! The people at sunrise must be against TDC GROUP HOMES TOO!

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    1. Boo Hool not in my backyard they say but they said to put it anyplace else in town. I think it is a great location and I do believe they are barking up a wrong tree, It is going to open in that location.

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    2. I agree. Your children are at more risk from drugs at the mall, at the pizza shop and at school, in short, everywhere. No matter how vigilent those places are drugs will get to people if they want them. The peopl who would be in this facility have already undergone treatment and are working how to stay clean and sober when they get to the outside world. They have no interest in turning your children into addicts. They have more than enough problems of their own to solve to find time for that. It is good that you think about the possibilities that this facility could bring to your neighbourhood. But I think you are prompted by partly baseless fears rather than reality. Go to the meeting and listen to what MClean has to say.

      I don't have children but I do live just down the road from the site, just over the Templeton/Winchendon border. So it effects me also.

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  2. I was at the meeting when you brought your case to the selectmen. I think they said to wait till planning board was done and then go after the education end of it? Have you changed your course and if so will that petition be the end of it?You will have 6 minutes to present your case and no rebuttle. It's not easy with the time limit and if you want to win line up the people to speak before the meeting.25 minutes tops and it's move the question Mr. moderator.People will speak in favor of the facility also.

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  3. Sunrise people need to be at the facility on opening day to check in.
    People in the neighborhood most likely didn't want a developement
    On those beautiful grazing land either but they did. Let them open in peace and if they screw up then file a complaint.

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  4. They should put it in Gardner. Between all of the nut cases and X's on the buildings nobody would even notice. And with the new $15 million PD station being built when the act up they will have a place to lock them up.

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  5. I know for a fact that McLean was not the only person to put in a bid for this location. The other was a group home. This company has houses for young men and women who are violent, mentally ill and sex offenders. Just wanted people to know this could of been there instead.

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  6. Times have changed people these ill sorts, bless their souls aren't in state hospitals
    Anymore thanks to your governments, so get use of it and do good job protecting the
    children don't wait for the teachers to tell them.that right were going to get more police protection. In baldwinville! "DUNKIN DONUTS"

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    1. I can't believe one of the oldest buildings in town is being torn down to build a Dunkin' Donuts. So, when there's 3 DDs in town and they've saturated the market, will we be left with an empty building on the lot when business falls off? Nice. I can drive to at least 6 DDs within 10 min. And now they'll be 3 more in Templeton? I know, I know...revenue, jobs. I get it. No need to set me straight. Its just that it seems sad to lose a part of the town's history and it seems poorly planned to have so many of one thing in a rural market.

      I totally understand the Sunrise Ave residents' concerns. If it was in my neighborhood maybe I'd feel like them. I've lived near other treatment facilities before and never seen or heard of any problems. I guess there are always two sides to a story. What will be interesting to see how the BOS will handle this subject. The residents went to them for help. Will they get any? Their hands are tied as far as the laws go. But they should still listen to them and at least attend the hearings. I haven't made up my mind how to vote at ATM. I hope both sides present good arguments.

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    2. I think the site is too small for a 22 bed facility of any kind. With an estimated 10-12 day stay, that would mean between 500-800 clients/year at full capacity.

      The other McLean facilities located in Princeton and Ashburnham are situated on much larger pieces of property, not in a residential neighborhoods.

      I also know the town can not afford a protracted legal battle with McLean Hospital. This citizen petition is probably the best way to get input from townspeople.

      A similar issue is going on in Westminster in a residential neighborhood.

      Keep up the momentum and give a good presentation at the ATM in May. Make a public record request for the legal research on Citizen Petitions that was paid for by the Light and Water Commissioners ($10,000). There could be some useful information in the "Memorandum on governance in Templeton" to help the residents help themselves.

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  7. With all that land up at the Fernald School and the buildings that will be left abandoned one would think that this would be an excellent location for this treatment facility. There are no homes or children to be exposed to possible harm and the view is fantastic! I think the town could get behind that location.

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  8. Think what you just wrote, right close by to the new school and the day care center
    the state all ready has plans but we will be told last.

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    1. If the "visioning committee" and i believe VW is the BOS representative, ever met with the facility director, then maybe the town would know what the plans are.

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  9. I have heard that of all treatment facilities for drug and alcohol addictions that the McLean Hospital is the best one. I feel, and it is my opinion, that this location would be fine. The people that would be going there will be in treatment that is needed. If you had or have a loved one that was suffering from one or more of these diseases, wouldn't you want them to receive treatment? There already is a lot of drug issues in Templeton, probably a lot more than people would like to admit or know. I personally would want to know who my neighbor is, with this facility you will know who is living there, what the treatment is. What would you do/say if someone purchases the house and then you find out that they are a sex offender or worse. Basically, at least you know your neighbor, if someone else buys it you never know what kind of people/person they will be.

    again, everyone deserves to be treated for their diseases. if you ask for a CORI check on every patient, will you then be asking for a CORI check on every new neighbor that moves in? If someone is admitted to the facility and they are a registered sex offender, the police would automatically be informed, there is no need to do CORI checks on patients. If you are admitted to the hospital, do they do a CORI check on you?

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    1. to clarify what i wrote - "you find out that they are a sex offender or worse", i meant that you would find out the hard way, after they have already committed a crime.

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  10. I would advise all to avoid Templeton Times as the latest blog is controversial and political.

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    1. Thanks for the tip. I will visit that site now

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  11. Is it possible that the treatment center would consider swapping properties with the family who has ice landing on his porch from the windturbine? Would the flicker bother the patients? Would this be to close to our school? Fernald School sounds good to me.

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  12. Are you really that dumb, if a piece of ice hit his house that far away it would cause a lot of damage, no damage no picture of where it hit. Just more bull shit from c4t

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    1. dana, how much did you smoke today, It is NOT just c4t, the rest of the town has had enough of your arrogant BS too.

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  13. So why doesn't that turbine run dana and when it gets fixed and how much mula. Edward would like to hear that and more!
    Believe me! He was surprised to hear it was not "running". My next call will be tho the CEO/Treasure of MMWEC for a chat about the audit and see when the numbers will be out for us to see a audit completed. Maybe he would rather have a forensic audit instead? I think both would be correct road to follow. What say you MMLDWECC board members, Driscoll,Edwards,Allen. Lets say this ain't bullshit dana.
    But your attitude is, That can be fixed.
    Shareholder
    Dave Smart

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    1. Go Dave Go!
      Keep doing what you are doing. They are running scared and they NEED Gerry back to stop your investigations.
      Where did all the money get spent and on what? Keep asking, some individuals don't want the Town to know these answers.
      GO DAVE GO!

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