Wellesley Board of Selectmen issues statement on opioid treatment center

When the Swellesley Report did the rounds with Wellesley town officials on Sept. 7 about the opioids treatment center that we broke the story about last week (“Opioids detox center plans to open in Wellesley” nobody knew anything about anything).

But in the wake of our story about The Coleman Institute, planning to open in Lower Falls this fall, residents began making their feelings felt — some saying there’s a need even if Wellesley hasn’t been affected as widely by the opioids crisis as other communities, others worrying about its location near a school. On Monday, the Wellesley Board of Selectmen issued a statement to kick off its meeting:

“In response to questions raised by residents about a proposed opioids treatment center called the Coleman Institute to be located in Wellesley at 30 Washington St., the Board of Selectmen reached out to representatives of the center for detailed information. We understand this center is an outpatient physician’s office with a small staff that will serve a limited number of patients. They provide an outpatient withdrawal management process for opioids as well as other highly addictive substances. The Coleman Institute is not a residential treatment facility and will not serve as a walk-in clinic. Rather it is an alternative to these more traditional methods of treatment that has proven effective. The Coleman Institute has complied with all by-right zoning regulations for the area and the medical office requires no further permitting from the town. To provide specific, accurate information about opioid addition and treatments, and to address concerns about the location of this proposed clinic, the Board of Selectmen has invited representatives from the Coleman Institute to speak at its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 22. We encourage all interested residents to attend.”