New Bedford Zoning Board to Decide Tonight on Fate of Proposed Methadone Clinic

The New Bedford Zoning Board of Appeals is holding a meeting tonight in which it will decide whether or not to issue a special permit to allow a medical clinic to open at 268-270 Union Street in downtown New Bedford.

Recovery Connection Centers of America is seeking to open a facility that would provide patients with methadone and other substance abuse treatment.

There has been a great deal of controversy over the proposed clinic and its location, with Mayor Jon Mitchell and all but one New Bedford City Councilor being on record as opposing its location.

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Residents are invited to offer their input tonight at the meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. in the third floor meeting room of the main branch of the New Bedford Public Library.

The vote was originally scheduled for the ZBA's October 22 meeting, but concern over a lack of public input because that meeting was held remotely caused the board to continue the hearing to tonight's meeting.

The New Bedford City Council recently granted a waiver of residency to the new operator of Fall River Pawn Brokers, located right next door to the proposed clinic location. Mayor Mitchell sent a veto letter to the council regarding the waiver, which the council placed on file but on which it took no action. That later led to a heated debate between Mitchell and Councilor-at-Large Brian Gomes on WBSM.