RESIDENTS FEEL SPURNED BY SELECTMEN'S CLINIC DECISION

Treatment Center Waiting For State's OK

FRAMINGHAM - The Board of Selectmen's retraction of its opposition to a
proposed downtown methadone clinic, part of a settlement reached last week
after a six-year legal battle, clears the way for Spectrum Health System to
gain a license for the facility from the state Department of Public Health.

Spectrum must secure the license before it can open the clinic to treat
recovering heroin addicts. A spokeswoman for the state health department
said officials would probably decide within a week whether to grant the
license to Spectrum.

According to the terms of the settlement, Framingham and Spectrum have
agreed to drop all litigation stemming from the six-year battle.

''We're looking forward to providing a service to the community that we
believe for a long time has been an unmet need,'' said Dan Quinn, chief
operating officer of Spectrum.

Town counsel Christopher Petrini gave Spectrum officials a written
statement Friday to submit to the state health department. The statement
confirms that the selectmen have dropped their opposition to the planned
facility at 214 Howard St.

Roseanne Pawelec, a spokeswoman for the state health department, said the
letter completes the community siting requirement for a license to
distribute methadone. The department will also review the occupancy and
building permits, which Spectrum has already secured, and probably will
decide whether to issue a license within a week.

''We're pleased that the completed application is in hand so we can make a
decision,'' said Deborah Klein Walker, associate commissioner of substance
abuse services at the state Department of Public Health. ''Statewide, we
have a heroin epidemic. Methadone is one treatment that is very effective,
so we are always pleased when we can make sure a community has full access
to a range of services, and methadone clinics is one of those services.''

Although the settlement drew praise from state and local health officials,
the agreement generated a rancorous response from local residents and
downtown business owners who contend that the methadone clinic will cause
the town center to deteriorate.

''I'm heartsick and sad for my town,'' said Beth Bannon, Framingham's
downtown manager. ''I don't understand how the selectmen measured the
decision in dollars and cents. You can't measure the worth of this community.''

Spectrum has been seeking more than $1.5 million in a lawsuit filed against
Framingham that accuses the town of discriminating against drug addicts.

Although Petrini said he believes the town would have won the case, he
advocated for a settlement because of the considerable financial risk.

The Board of Selectmen concurred, and after a month of negotiations,
approved an agreement in which Spectrum would drop the discrimination case.
Framingham, in turn, will withdraw its appeal of a state Land Court
decision that ordered the town last year to issue the company a building
permit. Each side would also bear its own costs and legal fees, which for
Framingham total more than $50,000.

Francis X. Reilly, a leader of the group Framingham is My Backyard, said
people in town are not ready to give up. In December, and again in April,
Town Meeting asked the selectmen and Framingham's legislative delegation to
prevent the methadone clinic from locating downtown.

Reilly, who organized a meeting last month for residents to coordinate
their opposition, said he believes private lawsuits are in the works.

''There are substantial financial resources to support an attorney,''
Reilly said.

Quinn, of Spectrum, said he hasn't given much thought to private lawsuits
now that the town has settled, but he hopes to meet with residents as the
program launches.

''We want to continue to inform people and educate people about what we
do,'' Quinn said. ''We hope that process would mitigate people's concerns
as it has in the past.''

The clinic - which will be the 34th of its kind in the state - will host an
outpatient program that dispenses methadone in the early morning and
counseling throughout the day. He said the clinic could treat up to 100
clients.

Spectrum operated methadone clinics in three locations on Waverly Street
and Union Avenue between 1989 and 1995. Steve Carl, Framingham's chief of
police, said the department received no reports of problems when the
clinics operated, but he was still concerned about the return of a clinic
to downtown.

''Time will tell,'' Carl said.