PETERBOROUGH TO REVIEW LAND USE POLICIES FOR CLINICS AFTER COMPLAINTS
ABOUT METHADONE CLINICS

Complaints about methadone clinics in the downtown led city council
last night to ask for a review of its land use policies for clinics
throughout the city.

City staff presented an information report on methadone clinics to
council during the planning committee meeting last night.

Town Ward Coun. Dean Pappas raised the issue, and asked for a report
on the matter, at a planning committee meeting in February.

The city planning department recommended against creating a separate
zoning classification for methadone clinics.

Council accepted the information report, then asked for a review of
the locations of zoning districts for clinics -- including general
clinics, dental clinics and methadone clinics.

In addition, council endorsed asking Peterborough County-City Health
Unit for a report on methadone treatment programs.

Pappas said he agrees the city can't separate methadone clinics from
other clinics in its zoning bylaws.

"We need them, don't get me wrong, I know we need these shelters and
we need these clinics," he said.

The city has encouraged clinics to locate in the downtown, planning
and development services director Malcolm Hunt said.

"We have a fairly liberal use of clinics in commercial spaces," he
said. "To be able to walk to a dentist or to a physician is probably a
good thing."

Pappas told council he's received calls about a methadone clinic on
Charlotte Street that's near a restaurant, a spa, a fitness facility,
a photography store and apartments.

"There's foul language that kind of floats up to their windows,"
Pappas said. "That's kind of the distilled concerns that I've got from
them."

"There's an unease about methadone and probably about drug use in
general in the city," Coun. Henry Clarke said.

Coun. Patti Peeters became emotional as she talked about phone calls
she's received from people about the issue of methadone clinics.

Her voice faltered. Tears welled in her eyes.

Some people made unforgivable comments, Peeters said, and she'd like
to think it's because there's not an understanding of the issue.

"Drugs have played a part in my family by more than one person," she
said. "I would encourage us to deal with this issue in the very
sensitive way that it deserves."

Peeters told council the drug addiction problems in her family weren't
related to methadone.

Peterborough County-City Health Unit confirms there are four clinics
providing methadone maintenance treatment in the downtown area, land
use planner Caroline Kimble states in a report.

The clinics are on Sherbrooke, Charlotte, Simcoe and Burnham streets,
she states.

Coun. Ann Farquharson voted against asking staff to review the zoning
locations for clinics.

"We want more doctors and physicians in this city. We don't want less.
We don't want to limit where clinics can go," she said. "We're
venturing into the health field and venturing into isolating
specifically methadone clinics and I don't agree with doing that.

"These clinics help people who need it most."