DAPHNE, Ala. — A group of 40 concerned residents Tuesday discussed the impact of a methadone-substitute therapy clinic located within a residential area. Members of the Olde Towne Daphne Association at the Daphne Public Library aired concerns about three major issues: personal safety, murmurs of petty vandalism and increased traffic.

Nine months ago, Mercy Medical had leased the first floor of its administration building to Townsend Recovery Center, an outside, for-profit company that specializes in treating opiate addicts with suboxone, a methadone-substitute.

But questions — and conflicting reports — have arisen over the legitimacy of the group’s business license, which is up for renewal at the end of January.

“The (business license) application was a little misleading because it insinuates that they are part of Mercy Medical,” Councilwoman Cathy Barnette said.

Michael Handley, chief executive officer for Townsend Recovery, would not comment on the status of the company’s original business license.

Cecilia Mace, communications director for Mercy Medical, however, confirmed that Townsend Recovery Center is not officially part of the hospital, and implied that Barnette’s claim is inaccurate.

“It is with certainty that Mercy Medical states Townsend Recovery is not part of Mercy Medical and that Townsend Recovery applied for its license under its own name and not under Mercy Medical’s banner,” Mace said Thursday.

Townsend leases space from Mercy Medical in its administration building, Mace said. adding, “Our relationship with Townsend is a professional relationship consisting of a lease agreement.

“We respect the mutual right of Townsend and Mercy Medical to expect courtesy and privacy from one another as occupants in the administration building.”

Regardless, it seems residents at Tuesday’s meeting want to see Townsend’s business license revoked or, at the very least, not renewed next month.

Olde Towne Daphne members plan to attend Monday’s City Council business meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall to address the council about the situation, urging that action be taken.

“I feel the council should rescind the permit next month,” Lon Johnston, former city councilman and OTDA member, said.

“Revoke the license,” Barnette said. “If there was a misrepresentation of the facts, it can be revoked.”

It seems that whether such misleading information was included, is beside the point. According to Olde Towne Daphne’s Web site, the bottom line is this: location, location, location.

According to the site’s “What Do We Want?” section of the page that outlines the Townsend controversy, Olde Towne Daphne members say:

“We all should understand and support the need for treatment for those individuals and families facing the challenges of addiction. However, we do not believe the middle of a residential community is the appropriate location for such a facility. …

“We want the City of Daphne to deny renewal of the Townsend Recovery Center’s business license at the Mercy Medical facility!”

Still, residents seemed torn because of their respect and admiration for the Mercy Medical staff; many of them shared how the hospital has helped family members recover from past injuries.

“All of us have real strong feelings about their physical rehab and nursing services,” Johnston said.

“Mercy Medical is a fine group of people,” he said. “Part of the problem is that the people involved in the original agreement have already retired.”

Attendees relayed stories about the subtle — and not so subtle — impact the drug clinic purportedly has had on the neighborhood. Townsend Recovery Center is located in an R-1, low-density residential zone.

“I’m a runner,” a resident said. “And two young guys followed me in their car. I was scared.”

“They’re just way too sneaky and that scares me,” another resident said.

“There are three issues we are focusing on,” OTDA spokesperson Christopher Hill said. “Personal safety … is it the proper place to have a drug facility in a residential area?

“There have been reports of petty vandalism,” Hill added. “And there’s the traffic issue.”

But are these concerns real or perceived?

A Daphne Police Department records division query showed no increase in criminal mischief since Townsend opened. The search included a one-square-mile radius surrounding the facility and compared 2008 reports to totals from 2007 and 2006.

A Daphne municipal court staffer would not confirm an increase in erratic driving based on issued traffic tickets.

Also, a question of the legality of a methadone-substitute clinic neighboring Daphne Elementary was raised at Tuesday’s meeting.

“What is a drug clinic doing within the school zone? Is that even legal?” a resident asked.

“There’s no law that would prevent a drug rehab to operate near a school,” Daphne attorney Elizabeth Citrin said. “They’re legally within their rights to operate.”

Townsend Recovery Center conducts outpatient therapy sessions from 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The facility does not distribute the suboxone drug to its patients, according to a spokesperson, who said its treatment program involves meeting with physicians and may include receiving a prescription for suboxone to be filled at a local pharmacy.

“We don’t administer medication at our site,” Handley said. “We have a physician and a counselor on staff.”

Suboxone is a sublingual (under the tongue) tablet approved for the treatment of opiate dependence, according to the Federal Drug Administation’s official Web site.

Suboxone treats opiate addiction by preventing symptoms of withdrawl from heroin and other opiates.

Townsend's policy is to maintain a positive relationship with the community it serves, Handley said.

“Wherever we are, we strive to be a good neighbor,” he said.

“We’re used to working with people and being very active in the community,” he added. “We’re very active in building awareness in the community.”

The initial goal of Tuesday’s meeting was to raise awareness in the neighborhood about the situation.

“We’re trying to make sure everyone is aware of what’s going on,” Hill said. “We realize, with the business license so close to being renewed, that there’s not much time.”

The concerned group’s first step is to address the City Council Monday night. If no action is planned by the council, residents will speak with the Board of Zoning Authority.

The last resort is to take legal action against the clinic.

“If I have to, I’ll dip into my seed money to pay for an attorney,” Johnston said.