METHADONE BOARD ASKED TO RETHINK CLINIC

Viers: 'I Don't Want This Thing'

An estimated 200 addicts from the area now travel to clinics in Columbia,
Charleston and Wilmington, N.C. _ many of them daily -- to get methadone.

S.C. Rep. Thad Viers has asked Horry County to reconsider its approval of a
methadone clinic set to open soon in Fantasy Harbour.

The county's Board of Adjustments and Zoning Appeals will decide whether to
reconsider its approval.

"I don't want this thing in my district, or my county," Viers said.

The board can grant or deny Viers' request. If the board votes to
reconsider its decision, the hearings will be public.

Viers and many residents worry the clinic, called Center of Hope of Myrtle
Beach, will bring drugs, addicts and crime to the area. The for-profit
center will be the county's first methadone clinic.

Center of Hope officials, which include addiction counselors and a doctor,
say the clinic will meet a growing need. An estimated 200 addicts from the
area now travel to clinics in Columbia, Charleston and Wilmington, N.C. -
many of them daily - to get methadone.

"[Horry County] had the highest single growth in OxyContin sales in one
year," said Kirk Parker, a member of the group working to open Center of
Hope. "We know that our program is very much needed in Horry County."

The clinic needs state permits to open. It already has a business license
and hopes to open before Christmas.

At issue is whether the board properly discussed the clinic's proximity to
Bridgewater Academy, a charter school, and nearby homes at River Oaks. The
board waived county rules requiring methadone clinics to be 2,000 feet or
more from a house of worship, home or school. The clinic is less than 2,000
feet from Bridgewater Academy and River Oaks.

Even though the board can waive the 2,000-foot rule, Viers said the board
should have made the waiver official as part of its approval.

The county is reviewing the July 2002 meeting minutes on the clinic
approval. They the board discussed River Oaks. Board member Carl Franklin,
who voted against the clinic, said the clinic's location was debated.

County Zoning Administrator Roland Meyer said, "Our concern is following
procedure, and we followed procedure."

Anyone can ask the board to reconsider a decision. The request carries a
$100 fee, which Viers paid.

If the board reconsiders and rejects the clinic, the clinic could sue and
ask the courts to decide.

"They're going to get sued one way or the other," Viers said. "Who do they
want to get sued by: A methadone clinic, or residents, schools and churches?"