JUDGE TO CHIME IN ON CLINIC

Methadone Facility Asks Court To Bar County Hearing

A judge will decide Monday whether Horry County can reconsider its approval
of the county's first methadone clinic.

A county board was poised to reconsider its approval Monday of the Center
of Hope clinic, which wants to open at Fantasy Harbour. But the clinic has
requested that the courts block the hearing. Judge John Breeden will hear
the request at 11 a.m. Monday at the Georgetown County Courthouse. The
county's meeting of the Board of Adjustments and Zoning Appeals is set to
take up the issue at 5:30 p.m. at the Horry County Government and Justice
Center.

State Rep. Thad Viers petitioned the county to reconsider the clinic's
approval. He fears the clinic will attract drugs and criminals. Methadone
is an addictive, synthetic drug used to treat addiction to opiates such as
OxyContin and heroin.

The clinic still is waiting for its final state permits before it can open.
The Board of Adjustments and Zoning Appeals approved it in July 2002.

The clinic hopes to serve about 200 recovering opiate addicts. About that
many Grand Strand residents currently travel to Wilmington, N.C.,
Charleston or Columbia to obtain methadone.

Clinic officials say it would be unfair for the county to reconsider now,
according to the request for an injunction. The clinic already has spent
$400,000 and hired employees. Clinic officials could not be reached to
comment Friday.

In its request, the clinic says it has not been notified of any reason why
its approval should be reconsidered.

Viers said he would have objected to the clinic earlier, but he didn't know
about it until reading about it last month in The Sun News. No County
Council members knew about the clinic until last month, either. If Breeden
rejects the request for an injunction, the county board will decide whether
it wants to reconsider its approval or stand by its decision. A second
hearing would be required for a reversal. The public is invited to attend
Monday's meeting.

The board's attorney, Conway attorney John Zilinsky, will represent the
county and the board at the court hearing.

"The county's position is that the board ought to be allowed to follow its
procedures," he said.

Viers said the request for an injunction is meant as intimidation. He said
asking the court to intercede is foolish and vowed to continue his fight
against the clinic.

"They shouldn't pick a fight they can't win," Viers said. "They forget in
this state that I get to vote on the judges."