09-28-09 Common Council Meeting Agenda & Packet

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Area Board of Zoning Appeals -September 2, 2009 MS. LASHON GURROLA: First I would like to say with regards to the Board members of Hope House, Pedro Gurrola is not listed as a Board member or having anything to do with the education or the running of the facility. Secondly I would like to state on record there is a business comfort companion choice, however it is not a group home as stated. As a matter of fact it is not a home at all. It's just a business. It has no bearing, no relation to Hope House or group home. It's not even in the same category so that's some misinformation. To a personal bankruptcies on the house manager, you know, that is true and this is a very difficult economic time and for situations out of our control that is the case. You have bankers and other business people that have filed bankruptcy and still continue to do business at hand. If focus on the Indiana Code and qualifications that should speak for itself as far as the people who will actually run the home. There is no bankruptcy or foreclosure on Illinois property on myself or my husband. I don't know what that is or what that's about. I wanted to speak with regards to the roof and some ordinances and failure to appear in court. We were represented at a hearing concerning the roof by a Scott Rakowski from Michiana Comfort who was contracted to repair the roof. But I must clarify that the home was in foreclosure and in disrepair for probably for a good year or so since the previous owners lost it. The house was already in disrepair. I will be admit I was a little slow in getting it completed but as stated that is a 4400 square foot property and it takes time to do such. None of the repairs was started in the house first to make it livable. When the house was purchased it was not in livable condition to assume residency. The heater, the water, the pipes. When you buy a foreclosed property you're very limited on what information you're getting about the property. You can walk through it, you can have your inspections, which all of that was done. At the time of closing all estimates and everything it would take to get the property up to standard just to live, was handled and contracted on which I have receipts stating to that fact. I think there was a concern about or mention of dumping two medical fragile children. Initially yes. The home was to be a 10 bed facility with reservations of two of the beds to offer to complex medical children. That was dropped not because of lack of concern, that was dropped because that would require on site nursing, on site therapy and possibly round the clock care. So because of the parking concerns and other restraints that was dropped from our petition. Thank you. MR. URBANSKI: Is there a motion? MS. NAYER: Can I make just one clarification? We've been using the words group homes and group residences kind of interchangeably during the public hearing. Group homes and group residences are two different definitions under the zoning code and this is a group home. I just wanted to clarify that. MR. PHIPPS: Mr. Chairman if there are no other questions I'd like to make a comment and a motion. I think I am sympathetic to the needs of children that find themselves in an unsatisfactory home situation and as I mentioned earlier particularly what I have learned in the past. couple of years. So I think I came to this hearing very inclined to approve even though over the opposition of the neighbors and I certainly would expect some. My guess is that the Board members here feel the same way too. Just a couple of months ago we approved a group home over some opposition and got some criticism for it. So I think our history is that we listen to all the facts and make our decision and it isn't even necessarily what the neighbors want. So my inclination would be to approve something like this because we wanted to but one thing that it would take in order to get my vote of approval is some reasonable assurance that the organization who's proposing to run it would be, would live up to the commitments they make and would be done. I'm afraid that what I heard today would lead me in the other direction and to think that there are some questions here. So I would make a motion that we send it to the Common Council with an Unfavorable Recommendation. 28