[UPDATE]Judge Rules in Favor of Peekskill Planning Commission in Methadone Clinic Case

Editor's Note: The following statement was submitted by Bob Knight, a spokesman for the Peekskill Common Council.
City officials have not been fully briefed on the judges decision and are exploring additional options.  The city also remains surprised that with all of Hudson Valley Hospital's new buildings, they were not willing to find space for the methadone clinic in their own medical setting. Rather, the hospital wants to place the clinic in an industrial area.
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A state supreme court judge ruled in favor of the Peekskill Planning Commission and its decision to give site plan approval to a methadone clinic on 3 Corporate Dr. earlier this week in White Plains.

State Supreme Court Justice Lester B. Adler dismissed the article 78 proceeding the city filed against its Planning Commission in November and ruled that the commission acted within its jurisdiction.

The Renaissance Project proposes to combine the outpatient therapy program it currently runs at the Jan Peek House with Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s methadone maintenance center into one facility at 3 Corporate Dr. The facility could serve as many as 275 clients, but it’s not expected that the facility will have that many people at any one time.

Officials from the Hudson Valley Hospital Center announced that they were closing their methadone clinic in July.

The Planning Commission approved the site plan for the controversial project in November. The commission initially gave the go-ahead for the clinic in June, but they had to redo the public hearing process when they failed to alert the Town of Cortlandt about the project. The law requires Peekskill to notify Cortlandt because the project is within 500 feet of the border that separates the two municipalities.

A number of residents and business owners also complained about potential increases in traffic and crime the clinic would bring.

The Common Council hired the law firm of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker and filed the Article 78 proceeding shortly after site plan approval was given for the second time. The basis for the court proceeding was that the project is incompatible with the current zoning at the proposed site. Although the zoning allows for professional offices, the scope and usage for the proposed clinic doesn’t fit the city’s definition of a professional office, according to the attorneys.

Check back for more details as they become available.