Residents in one section of Torrington are concerned about a proposed methadone clinic that could be built just steps from their homes.
Dozens have signed a petition which they hope will stop the construction of the facility likely to be built at the former Boy Scouts of America property on Kennedy Drive.
"It’s a quiet neighborhood and I just don’t think where they want to put it is the best idea," said Harry Olivero.
Olivero and others are concerned the clinic could drive up crime and drive down property values.
"We'd like to not have it put here," he said. "I know it has to go somewhere, maybe somewhere less populated. Not here."
Families are concerned about the clients coming in to the neighborhoods.
Many of those clients are heroin addicts who need the narcotic methadone for detox.
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"There’s a huge issue," Rep. Michelle Cook said. "We have a large substance abuse problem in Torrington."
Mayor Ryan Bingham is one of the dozens who signed the petition.
He said the city’s hands are tied because it’s a private real estate deal, according to The Register Citizen.
The City of Bristol is already home to a methadone clinic.
People who live there say it’s actually a positive thing for their community.
"I’d rather have the people getting help than on the streets doing it," Jeff Edwards said. "At least they’re going somewhere."
