Just an FYI for those interested in attending tonight’s Middletown Zoning Board meeting concerning the Middletown Medical (Methadone) Clinic, I have been told that it has been postponed until next month so no need to rush out the door to attend.
Category Archives: Middletown Medical clinic
>It’s Your Town Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 12- 6/20/11: The Methadone Clinic Uproar
>The new edition of It’s Your Town newsletter has been published and ready for reading and covers what happened during the Middletown Township NJ monthly Committee meeting of June 20th, 2011.
besides there being a presentation of the Township Solar Project by Birdsall Engineering and a public hearing on theTownship’s ADA compliance plan,the newsletter tells about the very large crowd of concerned citizens that attended the meeting to express concerns about the Methadone Clinic that opened on Rt. 35 at Apple Farm Rd.
As reported here and at other websites the meeting was overflowing with residents from the the Applebrook and TwinBrook neighborhood that are effected by the methadone clinic being so close to their homes. At times the meeting became very loud boisterous and contentious. Residents found it hard to believe that they were being told the true about the clinic and the process that enabled it to open at the current location.
You can read all about it HERE in the newsletter.
As an added bonus for your listening pleasure I have an audio clip from that night that features resident Patricia E. Corridon, who spoke to the committee about the opening of the Middletown Methadone clinic. She said she did not feel a great deal of trust in the Committee who were elected to protect their citizens. She said everything from a broken toenail to a cell tower is aired in Middletown. She said it is hard to believe when they say they knew nothing about this and were blindsided. She said for them to say they will be protected but then turn Apple Farm Rd. into a police state is not what is wanted. She said the Committee does not have the pleasure of plausible deniability.
Ms. Corridon was interrupted midway through her comments by Tony Fiore who sounded arrogant, exasperated and helpless in the wake of all the criticism being leveled against himself and others who’s job it was to know about this before the clinic opened at the only entrance into or out of a residential neighborhood
http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf
>Sign Of The Times… Opiate Addiction Ruining Your Life?
>
(Photo by MiddletownMike)
While driving home from work this afternoon, I noticed for the first time the billboard above.
The billboard is locate on Hwy 35 south in Sayreville, just before going over the Cheesequake drawbridge.
I drive home this way each and everyday and until today I have not seen it before, which leads me to believe that this sign recently went up, more than likely over the past few days.
So if there are any questions about where potential clients of the Middletown Methadone clinic may be coming from, it is a very good assumption that many could be coming from the Middlesex County area and beyond, not just from the immediate surrounds.
( If anyone has noticed this sign before this afternoon let me know, I am curious about how much of a daze I must be in while coming home from work each day, not to have noticed it sooner )
>Methadone Clinic Uproar At Town Hall
>I briefly attended last nights Middletown Township Committee meeting, I was there for only the first 45 minutes, leaving at 8:45pm. It’ to bad that I did because I could tell from the get go that it was going to be one hell of a night.
The first indication that it was going to be a hot one last night was the parking lot, nearly every space was full and that has happened in a very long time.
The other indication was the agitation of many in the audience. The standing room only, overflowing into the lobby crowd, was a mixed bag of residents who had never attended a Township Committee meeting before until last night and wanted to express their displeasure at having a methadone clinic open up just outside of the only way in and out of their neighborhood.
Having never been to a meeting before they were unaware of the protocol of following the agenda and couldn’t understand why they had to wait to speak their mind.
Many hemmed and hawed having to wait their turn while sitting through the solar project presentation presented by a Birdsall Engineering representative that rushed through the presentation and a couple of public hearings on different ordinances, which by that time I had to leave.
Before I left however I did speak to a few individuals who expressed their dismay at not being informed of the methadone clinic a head of time, wondering exactly how something like this could happen and were hoping that the Township Committee would stand up to the clinic and somehow, someway have it shut down.
As I expected and found out earlier today from talking to a few that were their and reading online accounts, those that govern the Township told those in attendance that nothing could be done, that the clinic is in it’s legal rights to be there and anything that the Township did to try and prevent the clinic from operating could possible lead to a very costly law suit that more than likely be decided against the Township.
When I asked if last night’s meeting was really as loud and crazy as it was made out to be by the online accounts from the redbankgreen.com and MiddletownPatch I was told “most definitely”. More raucous then some meetings from last year when the planned turf fields were being fought against by members of SONIC, LVGA and the Pop Warner Chargers of Trezza Field? Absolutely I was told. The reason being, which made a lot of sense, was because while SONIC, LVGA and the Chargers were against a proposed plan that hadn’t been implemented yet, the residents of Apple Brook development, who’s only way into and out of their neighborhood is directly past the methadone clinic, didn’t have a say into whether or not they wished to be living within walking distance of a clinic that distributes one dangerously addictive drug to stop the cravings of another and who’s clients have potential criminal records. And when you consider what could happen to the values of their homes because of the presence of the Middletown Medical clinic, I understood why.
So what’s their recourse? According to those on the Township Committee, the Municipal Attorney and Township Administrator not much, but I have heard talk that the residents are thinking of hiring lawyers in order to, somehow, force the town to take action or force the clinic to move, neither of which I think will be effective.
I’ve also heard word that residents may start picketing the clinic to draw more attention to it, which would then drive away those seeking treatment, that way the for-profit clinic may come to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be prudent for their bottom-line to continue operating at the location and move on their own.
I hope to have some audio of the meeting later this week for posting so that myself and others can hear how crazy it actually was.
