South Barrington facility for memory-loss patients approved

South Barrington trustees Thursday gave conditional approval to the annexation of land and construction of an assisted living facility for people suffering from permanent and temporary memory loss.

The new Autumn Leaves facility will join others in the Chicago area including ones in Vernon Hills, Orland Park and Crystal Lake, as well as those about to open in Oswego and St. Charles.

The facilities care for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other forms of memory loss including those caused by accidents or trauma.

Autumn Leaves would be located on 3.6 acres of previously unincorporated land north of Higgins Road and east of Bartlett Road, across from The Arboretum shopping center.

The village board’s approval is contingent on the developers reaching an agreement with the shopping center for an easement allowing a water and sewer connection, Village Administrator Mark Masciola said Friday.

“I don’t foresee any problem with that,” Masciola said. “Hopefully it will be worked out within the next week or two.”

The single-story, 26,000-square-foot building will be constructed on the same schematics as the company’s more than 20 other locations across the country, said Kay Adkins, director of development for the Texas-based LaSalle Group.

“It isn’t a new concept for us,” Adkins said. “Our oldest facility is 12 years old in Dallas.”

The building will feature a total of 46 beds in 38 rooms, Masciola said. The proposal has generated no concerns with village officials or even the residents of the nearby Cutters Run subdivision who were invited to review and comment on it, he added.

Village board members toured am existing location in Vernon Hills.

The single-story building plan fits into the South Barrington landscape and the design has a practical benefit for its residents, Adkins said. The lack of multiple levels and stairs makes it easier and safer to navigate for those suffering from memory loss.

Each of the building’s four wings will have a distinct internal color scheme and other identifying features to help prevent residents from being confused about where they are, Adkins said.

Construction is expected to take exactly one year from the time all permits are approved, and so the facility is expected to open in either late 2013 or early 2014, she said.