Protest against Lynnwood opioid clinic set for Saturday

Opposition to the location of a new opioid clinic in Lynnwood continues to grow.

The new facility is planned to open in late January, steps away from a Boys and Girls Club.

“We want to be super clear that we support drug addiction treatment centers in the city, especially if our community needs it. We understand that these are our neighbors, our communities, and we need to help them,” Vivian Dong, a community activist told KTTH’s Jason Rantz.

Lawmaker believes Lynnwood opioid facility should open on time

“Our major concern is how this is so close to the children’s club, two minutes away from Little League club and four minutes away from the Boys and Girls Club. Hundreds of children will be playing in the open field between the month of March to October.”

Dong has formed the group SAFE Lynnwood. They are planning to protest the center at 2322 196th Street in Lynnwood Saturday between 1-2 p.m.

Acadia Health Care will be operating the center. Many have complained about the location and the lack of transparency in the process.

“The location is also on the border of the city of Lynnwood and Snohomish County. Basically, if you cross the line, cross the road to the other side of the road, you are not in the Lynnwood city area anymore,” Dong said. “There always has been some dispute over whether the Sheriff or police department would protect the residents.”

Dong argued that the location of the clinic is also not close to needed public transportation.

“There’s enough reason to believe that the Department of Health and Acadia deliberately try to hide this and lie to the public,” Dong explained. “Many of us caught got caught off guard at the beginning. We found this out in the middle of December, eight month after they signed the lease. They started renovation in June. They got the permits in October. Nobody had a single word for the public. Even the tenant in the same building.”

There has been very little said by Acadia and the DOH, although representatives from Acadia attended a city council meeting, but were not asked to speak.

KTTH host Jason Rantz contributed to this report.

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