09-28-09 Common Council Meeting Agenda & Packet

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Area Board of Zoning Appeals -September 2, 2009 MR. STUDER: That's been released as we understand it. They've had workmen in there for the past several months which is another issue we have. We asked for a copy of the building permit and the Building Department indicates that they don't have a copy of the building permit. By their own words they have spent $100,000 fixing up the place when the neighbors, some of who will speak today, went to the open house, they've made a number of improvements to the house. They've been flouting the law. They're been flouting this community's law. And it's interesting that somebody asked the question, how many of these Board members are local, none. They're all in Illinois. They run businesses in Illinois and by the way Mr. Gurrola is in present foreclosure in his home in Illinois and he also had foreclosure on a house in Arizona. These are not the people to be running this home. You cannot let these people into this neighborhood who are going to let this house deteriorate over time. There were a lot of questions asked about how are they going to pay for this, "well we're not going to worry about that right now, we'll worry about that later". But by their own testimony, by the public record, they don't have funds available to them, they don't the way to pay this. Yet alone they're going to take care of this. Don't you worry about it, they'll find a way to pay. It's about this business, in this location by these people. That is our objection, period. It's not about the girls. It's not about the social service facilities as I said they are in the neighborhood we've embraced those. For the most part we don't have a problem. But it's these people and the way they've been running this home, this same location for past three years. It's not going to change just because they have a Special Use Exception, that's not going to change. It's going to continue to get worse. And as far as parking, they told us that there could be several people, part timers, quality assurance people, they even said today they have individual therapy and all these other issues and yet they say they only need two parking spaces. During the open house they said they could park six cars there easily, three in garage and three in the parking lot. We don't know what to believe. And I don't think this petition is well thought out and we would ask for an unfavorable recommendation. MS. VICKIE McINTYRE: I live at 1301 Garland Road, South Bend, Indiana. I also am just recently retired from the Juvenile Justice Center and I think I have to correct a few errors. First of all there is no child in the Juvenile Justice Center simply because there is no other place to house them. We simply do not and cannot do that by law. There are a lot of many group homes here. Family and Children's Center runs several very, very well, sometimes not even full. I believe my executive director was in to talk to someone representing this home a couple of days ago and was told they will take pregnant girls. But then there was no answer to when the baby is born, will the baby be able to stay? I think that should be addressed. Is this group not for profit or are they for profit? Will home remain on the tax roles or will it be taken off? I think that is something the county should worry about. I think it's also, as many of you know, the State of Indiana does pay for a girl to be iri a group home. They per diem. The per diem established by the group, that's true, but it has to be in conjunction with many others. Judge Nemeth, the Probate Court judge, most order a girl to stay at a particular place. We too examine these homes routinely and the agencies that run them. If the children are taken out they won't have that per diem. If they have three children there instead of the eight necessary, they say according to their budget, who will pay for the rest of it. I agree this is not a well thought out plan. MR. VAN GATES: 1449 Garland Circle. Jean and I have lived there for 39 years now so we're on the circle and we know the neighborhood. And again, one more time you've got to hear it, we are not against change in any form. We think these girls should be taken care o£ This is not the location and these are not the people. The property was purchased by these Chicago people in January, 2007. For most of two years it sat idle and uninhabited. Window were broken, gutters were hanging down loose, the garage and the driveway was all chipped up, the lawn was completely neglected with knee high grass and weeds, many, many times. Code 23