State-funded drug treatment center to relocate into mostly residential neighborhood

By CHRISTIAN M. WADE The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 22, 2007

PORT RICHEY - Residents in the city's east end have put up with crime, drug dealing and prostitution for years.

Recently, things have been improving. City police have been cracking down on crime while homeowners have polished the area's tarnished image by sinking big bucks into renovations.

So residents were less than pleased to learn that a state-funded drug treatment group has the city's permission to open a methadone clinic in the neighborhood.

The clinic, to be run by Operation PAR, is considering relocating from Ridge Road and Congress Street to an existing medical office building at 7720 Washington St.

Neighbors say the program for addicts is not welcome.

"They're taking this organization from a strictly commercial area and throwing it into the heart of a mostly residential neighborhood," resident Judy Parisi said. "The city didn't even notify the area residents that this was happening. That's totally unacceptable."

Marvin Coleman, PAR's vice president of communications, said his organization hasn't decided yet whether it will be moving the methadone clinic into the new office space.

"We haven't made a determination on that yet," he said Thursday.

Coleman said PAR has never had problems with clients at its outpatient methadone clinic, but he understands the objections of residents in the neighborhood.

"We welcome input from the community," he said. "We want to hear their concerns."

PAR bought the office building in January for about $1 million, county records show, and received formal approval last month from the city's Development Review Committee.

Building Official Ed Winch said the clinic's owners have met all the requirements of city building and zoning codes, and the relocation didn't require city council action.

"It's an approved use," he said. "They meet all the requirements for that location."

Residents want to know why the city didn't tell them about the clinic.

"I don't see why the city would approve something like this," resident Cheryl White said.

She said residents also are concerned about the potential impact on property values.

"They're going to plummet," White said. "Who wants to live next to a methadone clinic?"

Mayor Richard Rober said he's aware of the neighborhood's concerns and expects the city council to discuss the matter at upcoming meetings.

"I think the residents have a valid point," he said. "Hopefully we can sit down and discuss this and strike a balance between residents' concerns and the organization's needs."

The clinic's possible new location is next door to the Cotee River Townhomes project, a 90-unit complex to be constructed along the Pithlachascotee River on Washington Street.

Officials from Lennar Corp., which is building the homes, said Thursday they weren't aware of the methadone clinic.

Operation PAR, or Parental Awareness and Responsibility, began in Pinellas County in 1970 with a largely volunteer staff. Today, the organization provides addiction treatment, intervention and mental health services and has expanded to Pasco, Hernando, Lee and Manatee counties.

In Pasco, the organization also runs an outpatient adolescent treatment program.

Methadone is a narcotic administered in controlled doses to gradually break the dependency cycle. It is the first stage in the recovery process primarily for heroin addicts.

PAR is partially state-funded. It received an estimated $725,000 last year and is expected to get $750,000 from the fiscal year 2008 budget.

Parisi said the news comes at a time when her neighborhood has been improving.

"We've got the east end cleaned up - and now they're dropping this bomb on us."

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com.