RESIDENTS FEAR METHADONE CLINIC WILL RUIN QUALITY OF LIFE

CHESTERFIELD, N.H. -- Some local residents are concerned that a
70-patient heroin treatment clinic proposed for a building located off
Route 9 could hamper early-morning traffic and generally detract from
the quality of life in their rural town of about 3,500 residents. "I
just don't think Chesterfield is the right place for this," said Louis
Garinger, a Spaulding Hill Road resident and one of eight whose
property abuts the proposed clinic. "A number of residents have
concerns about a methadone clinic coming to a town of this size."

The proposed clinic, a beige building at the corner of Route 9 and
Lyman Way near the Shell gas station, was formerly used as a retail
paint store. The owner of the property is listed as Keene resident
Thomas Migneault.

The proposal for Habit Management Institute, a private heroin
treatment facility, to open a new clinic at the site was first
discussed by the planning board on Sept. 22. It will be discussed
again at a hearing slated for 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

Michael Greene, communications director for the Boston-based Habit
Management, said the Chesterfield site was selected after research to
determine the best clinic location for patients who have to drive for
as long as three hours for daily methadone treatments.

Habit Management has a dozen facilities in Massachusetts and one in
Manchester, N.H. The Chesterfield facility would have a staff of
seven, he said, and would treat patients from across New Hampshire,
Vermont and Maine.

Greene said his company treats some 4,500 people daily with methadone,
counseling and other therapies.

Vermont's sole methadone clinic is located in Burlington, and the
nearest clinic to Brattleboro is located in Greenfield, Mass. Although
the Brattleboro Retreat offers some treatments and counseling for
heroin addicts, the facility does not dispense methadone. Retreat
Spokeswoman Maria Basescu said the Retreat Healthcare president and
CEO, Richard Palmisano, a Chesterfield resident, is aware of the
proposal but is not familiar with it.

Commenting on the proposed clinic, Basescu said that the Retreat
"essentially supports the use of methadone for treatment."

Bob Del Sesto, Chesterfield Planning Board vice chairman, said the
board will soon try to decide whether to grant the applicant's request
for a permit to change the approved land use for the property. The
land is zoned commercial-industrial, which allows for retail and
office space, he said. Clinic space is not allowed under that zoning
designation.

At the earlier meeting, representatives from Habit Management said
they had intended to operate a heroin-addiction treatment program as
well as counseling at the facility. Del Sesto said the facility would
initially treat about 30 people daily, giving them their daily dose of
methadone -- a drug used to reduce the "cravings" experienced by
heroin addicts.

He said the number of people being treated would eventually reach 70
people daily. The treatments would take place from 6:30-8:30 a.m.

Del Sesto said that adjacent property owners had been notified of the
Sept. 22 meeting, but that few had shown up. At the meeting, the board
concluded that the application was incomplete.

"There were a few residents who went through the trouble of finding
out what was being applied for, but if residents had reviewed what
information was available (on the application), they would still not
have been properly informed of the extent of the change in use (being
requested)," Del Sesto said.

Local resident Cynthia Keyes, whose property abuts the land, said she
first received notice of the proposal in mid-September. The notice
"didn't expressly say" the plans proposed for the building, she said.
Among her concerns is that the clinic might draw crime to the area.

"I'm not in favor of it," Keyes said. "I think the proximity of I-91
is the appeal. We don't want to introduce a problem that doesn't
already exist, and I think the clinic would belong in an urban area
where there is more of a problem (with heroin use)."

Chesterfield Police Chief Lester Fairbanks said he's been researching
methadone clinics and has contacted some of his peers to ascertain any
changes they have seen in areas after methadone clinics opened. He
said police in Hudson reported they didn't experience a spike in crime
after a clinic opened there, but added that Hudson's population, at
25,000, is much higher than Chesterfield's.

"I'm still doing more research and trying to assess the impact,"
Fairbanks said. "The departments I've called haven't reported any
problems but most of these clinics are in urban areas, not rural
areas. I'm trying to find a way to compare apples to apples."

Fairbanks said there are residents of Chesterfield who receive
treatment for heroin addiction. Concerning the potential for traffic
problems, Fairbanks said the influx of up to 70 additional cars each
day on Route 9 probably wouldn't cause a significant increase in the
workload faced by his department of five full-time and two part-time
officers.

"Seventy cars a day on a road that already gets 14,000 cars a day
probably won't have that much of an impact, but it's probably not the
best intersection," he said.

Fairbanks added that he would be reassured if a traffic study were
conducted to see if a dedicated turning lane for the clinic would help
alleviate any possible traffic problems.

Greene said Habit Management understands the concern of local
residents, but insisted that "the community will be a vital part of
the recovery process once the treatment center opens."

"Habit Management has made an informed decision where the most
effective location should be," he continued. "We often hear people say
that (heroin addiction) is not a problem that affects their town, and
it's hard for communities to recognize that (addiction) is a disease
that affects communities regardless of economic status, racial status,
urban or rural status."

Property owner Thomas Migneault did not return messages left this
week.

Habit Management attorney Steve Bonnette said that he could not
discuss the issue.