Arlington Hts. asked to rethink housing for mentally ill

The developer of a proposed apartment building for the mentally ill maintains Arlington Heights officials acted illegally in rejecting the proposal and is considering legal action to overturn the decision.

But first, the Daveri Development Group is asking the Arlington Heights Village Board to reconsider its May decision denying zoning variances needed for the proposed 30-unit complex at 120 and 122 E. Boeger Road,

Allison K. Bethel, director of The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic, sent village officials a letter asking them to revisit the request.

“We are acting in a conciliatory manner,” Bethel said Wednesday. “But if we can't resolve this we are willing to move forward with litigation.”

In the letter, Bethel said the clinic represents Daveri and others “with a fair housing claim arising out of the Village of Arlington Heights' refusal to approve requested variances.”

The proposed Boeger Place, on the north side of the village, would provide supportive housing for people with mental illness. The plan originated with a group of parents called North/Northwest Suburban Task Force on Supportive Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness. That group has partnered with Daveri Development and with Thresholds, a nonprofit that provides services to people with mental illness.

The groups have not reapplied to the village for the project, Village Manager Bill Dixon said Thursday, and the village board has not discussed the issue in closed session. He declined to say whether the threat of litigation will be discussed in an upcoming meeting, but indicated is no action regarding the matter scheduled at this time.

Bethel said she had talked with village officials and it was her understanding they would discuss the matter next week, but she did not know who would be involved.

The letter, which opponents of the project obtained through a Freedom of Information Act and gave to the Daily Herald, states “persons with mental disabilities are included within the protected classes of the Federal and State Fair Housing Acts, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. These laws require municipalities to make reasonable accommodations to their policies, practices and procedures to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to live and enjoy housing opportunities available to others.”

The clinic is one of only two law school organizations in the country that deal exclusively with fair housing cases, said Bethel.