Plans for York County recovery center stall during planning board approval process - WMTW Portland

Plans for a 58-bed addiction recovery center in York County are slowly moving forward, hitting a roadblock early in the municipal approval process. The facility is supposed to be built on county property in Alfred. After lengthy discussion during a Sept. 18 meeting, the board opted to table the issue until the two applications submitted for the project could be sorted through. On Monday night, the planning board finally voted to accept the applications as being complete, but the approval process may still require several steps - literally. During Monday's meeting, Alfred town attorney Leah Rachin said a site walk for the project will take place Oct. 30. According to minutes from the Sept. 18 meeting, the planning board is concerned that the project would violate an ordinance that caps treatment facilities at 30 patients, but the county manager thinks they could make a zoning change that would allow the plans to move forward. The center would replace a 36-bed treatment center nearby.Last week, York County manager Greg Zinser reached out to the planning board requesting a status report since they hadn't received any updates since the planning board meeting in September. Monday night's meeting was the board's response to Zinser's inquiry - holding an executive session to meeting with the town attorney to ensure compliance with local ordinances. When asked about the project's delays, York County manager Greg Zinser said, "Every day that we don't get this going is potentially someone else's life." "If that's not reason enough to get the project going and to get the approval on the project, I’m not sure what is." "Stigma is an issue here that perhaps we need to get over, and this is pretty typical whenever we're talking about, you know, recovery in general," Zinser said. "Stigma, you know, casts a black shadow on a lot of positive things."Supporters of the plan say the center is desperately needed in order to tackle the opioid epidemic. People working in the field say they're at capacity. "We’re turning away about 70% of the people who are needing our services," Milestone Recovery executive director Tom Doherty said. The 58-bed project would replace an existing 36-bed facility, providing the first detox treatment in the county. "It's an important piece," Doherty said. "It gets them through that very difficult, sometimes dangerous and uncomfortable withdrawal period, so that they're now thinking a little bit more clearly about what path they want to take in their lives."

ALFRED, Maine —

Plans for a 58-bed addiction recovery center in York County are slowly moving forward, hitting a roadblock early in the municipal approval process.

The facility is supposed to be built on county property in Alfred. After lengthy discussion during a Sept. 18 meeting, the board opted to table the issue until the two applications submitted for the project could be sorted through.

On Monday night, the planning board finally voted to accept the applications as being complete, but the approval process may still require several steps - literally. During Monday's meeting, Alfred town attorney Leah Rachin said a site walk for the project will take place Oct. 30.

According to minutes from the Sept. 18 meeting, the planning board is concerned that the project would violate an ordinance that caps treatment facilities at 30 patients, but the county manager thinks they could make a zoning change that would allow the plans to move forward. The center would replace a 36-bed treatment center nearby.

Last week, York County manager Greg Zinser reached out to the planning board requesting a status report since they hadn't received any updates since the planning board meeting in September.

Monday night's meeting was the board's response to Zinser's inquiry - holding an executive session to meeting with the town attorney to ensure compliance with local ordinances.

When asked about the project's delays, York County manager Greg Zinser said, "Every day that we don't get this going is potentially someone else's life."

"If that's not reason enough to get the project going and to get the approval on the project, I’m not sure what is."

"Stigma is an issue here that perhaps we need to get over, and this is pretty typical whenever we're talking about, you know, recovery in general," Zinser said. "Stigma, you know, casts a black shadow on a lot of positive things."

Supporters of the plan say the center is desperately needed in order to tackle the opioid epidemic. People working in the field say they're at capacity.

"We’re turning away about 70% of the people who are needing our services," Milestone Recovery executive director Tom Doherty said.

The 58-bed project would replace an existing 36-bed facility, providing the first detox treatment in the county.

"It's an important piece," Doherty said. "It gets them through that very difficult, sometimes dangerous and uncomfortable withdrawal period, so that they're now thinking a little bit more clearly about what path they want to take in their lives."

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