Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greenport Planning Board Wed., Jan. 29, unanimously approved the construction of detox center at Merle Avenue and Route 66. The proposed 10,610-square-foot, 20-bed, medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization facility would open within 9 to 12 months. The single-story building would serve as a place for patients to seek help and get referrals and transportation to a recovery center. “It is a stopgap, to help somebody who voluntarily wants to get help, who is suffering from addiction,” said attorney Paul Freeman, a representative of People USA, the nonprofit behind the project. “...Columbia and Greene counties are two of the worst per capita opioid trouble spots in the entire state of New York.” More than 40 people attended the public hearing on the project held the day before. The eight people who commented at the hearing spoke in favor of the project. Cheryl Roberts, a co-founder of the Columbia County Bail Fund, Michael Cole, director of Columbia County Community Services and who has served as co-chair of the Columbia County Addiction Coalition; and Albert White of the Columbia County Mental Health Center all spoke. Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson addressed the board, offering his support for the project. The detox center is one pathway to recovery and one component but there is still a long way to go in bringing the recovery process to the county, Hudson Police Commissioner Peter Volkmann said. The project has received preliminary approval from state Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.