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Another methadone clinic zoning case

By Steve

In A Helping Hand, LLC, v. Baltimore County, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judge Motz, joined by Judge Duncan and District Judge Brinkema, held that a methadone treatment clinic that was the target of a zoning ordinance to bump it out of its present location could have a claim under the ADA, but was not entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and the judgment in its favor on its substantive due process claim would be affirmed.

One part that freaked me out was this: "it is well established that community views may be attributed to government bodies when the government acts in response to these views. See, e.g., City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., Inc., 473 U.S. 432, 448 (1985); Marks v. City of Chesapeake, 883 F.2d 308, 311-12 (4th Cir. 1989) (citing numerous cases)."

So, the risk-adverse government body will not allow its actions to be tainted by receiving the views of "the community."

Full post as published by Southwest Virginia Law Blog on February 13, 2008 (boomark / email).