03-26-18 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING March 26, 2018 RESOLUTIONS BILL NO. 18-03 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, APPROVING A PETITION OF THE AREA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 915 27TH STREET Councilmember Oliver Davis, Chair of the Zoning and Annexation Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Angela Smith, Deputy Director of the Area Plan Commission with offices on the 11 ffi floor of the County-City Building, South Bend, IN, served as presenter for this bill. Ms. Smith stated, The petitioner is seeking a special exception for a child caring institution which is a State-regulated naming of an institution that cares for individuals which the petitioner can speak more on. It was previously used as a nursing home facility. The building would be reused by the petitioner and there would not be any proposed additions or any reconstruction of the site. The site plan essentially reflects what is there now. It is a 9500 square foot building and the parking lot to the rear of the building. This comes to you from the Area Board of Zoning Appeals with a favorable recommendation. Dr. Bill Bruinsma, 3116 Weist Lane, South Bend, IN, served as the petitioner for this bill. Dr. Bruinsma stated, Good evening citizens of South Bend and members of the Council. It is my pleasure to be here tonight to seek a special use for a child caring institution in the OB, Office- Buffer District for the property located at 915 27`h Street, City of South Bend. Rite Of Passage intends to operate a group-home to serve up to twelve(12)male youth between the ages of fourteen (14) and twenty-one (21). The young men considered for this home must have first completed a residential treatment program, desire to be at this group-home, and have no other suitable living arrangement that would allow them to return home at this time. Each young man will be expected to be at school, either at DePaul Academy, a community high school, a college, or a vocational school. They must also have part-time employment within the community and be part of community service events. As I have stated many times in my meetings with the neighborhood and business associations, each young man will be taken to and from school, their employment, and fully supervised during community service events, as well as any time they are within the community. The minimum staffing ratio within the Woodford Home will be a one (1)to four(4). The services received at this home will be guided by a collaboratively developed service plan which will include case-management services, individual and family therapy, and positive skill development groups. The emphasis of the treatment will be on developing psychosocial and independent living skills, so that the young man develops the ability to live independently within the community. In addition to the group living staff, the home will be directed by a program manager, a unit manager, a case manager and a therapeutic manager. I will have an office there with regional support staff. A janitor/cook will also be hired to assist the young men in caring for the home and learning how to cook for themselves and others. Dr. Bruinsma continued, The caring philosophy behind the operation of the home is to provide normalized experiences to each young man so that he may improve his life. I, and the Rite of Passage staff,realize how difficult the mission of improving the lives of youth is on a daily basis. Sacrifice and hard work is modeled by the staff for our young men and we expect the same from them. Selfishness and everything that represents that lifestyle must give way to thinking about others. That is why the Woodford Home will be dedicated to serving the River Park Community in particular, and the South Bend area as a whole. A follower of Vincent DePaul had a model that he encouraged others to live by: Be good, do good, be a force for good. Residential treatment focuses on how to be good and how to do good. The Woodford Home will build on that foundation by giving young men opportunities to continuously do good by learning who they are as a person and how they can be a force for good in their communities. I know in preparing for tonight, one (1) of the values espoused by the City of South Bend is inclusion. The dictionary definition of inclusion is the act of including someone in something. In this context,inclusion takes on a deeper 11