Is Chelmsford Pulling Its Weight When It Comes to Regional Services?

Tonight is the followup and possible conclusion to the matter of the proposed methadone vlinic on the border of Lowell and Chelmsford.

The recent Lowell Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on the clinic's request for a special permit touched on a variety of topics relating to the issue, including one that may have broader implications for relations between Chelmsford and Lowell: Is Chelmsford pulling its weight when it comes to making the Merrimack Valley a better place as a whole?

Lowell ZBA vice chairman Corey Belanger said no, not singling out Chelmsford, but saying that "the suburbs" needed to do more in helping the less fortunate in the area, saying Lowell has carried a disproportionate burden (see his comments at approximately the 29:00 mark during the LTC meeting video)

Chelmsford Selectman Jim Lane (pictured on the right during the ZBA meeting) replied to those remarks at the selectmen's last meeting on June 3 (see his comments at approximately the 51:00 mark during the Telemedia video), strongly disputing those facts.

What is your take? Does Chelmsford give as much as it takes in terms of helping those in need through the Greater Lowell area? How about in terms of other regional services?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments. We'll have the news from Lowell tonight on our Facebook page as soon as it becomes available, and we'll have the full story tomorrow.