Neighbor Challenges Mental Health Facility Plans

A neighbor is challenging the state's plans to open a temporary mental health facility in Middlesex to help replace the Vermont State Hospital which was flooded by Tropical Storm Irene.

When Irene flooded the state hospital more than a year ago, patients were sent to other facilities around the state. The loss of the hospital put strains on emergency services, with some patients waiting days for a bed to become available.

The state wanted to open the temporary facility in January while a permanent 25-bed hospital in Berlin is built.

But neighbor Brian Hannon tells Vermont Public Radio he's concerned about the safety of his children and that the facility will hurt the value of his home. He has appealed the Middlesex Zoning Board's approval to the environmental court.

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