Palatine: Approve Gardens proposal

I have lived in Palatine for 35 years and love my community. I love being able to live independently and have neighbors that I care about and that care about me.

I love being close to community services such as the park district, the library, great schools, health care providers, places of worship, transportation and stores to purchase the necessities of life.

This is what Catherine Alice Gardens offers to the folks in our community who have disabilities yet wish to live a more independent life should they have the opportunity to be residents there. They will be living in an apartment of their own, not in their parents’ home or a nursing home, as they may have been for much of their adult life.

This kind of independence has been proven to increase the rate of recovery for persons with mental illness when living in a supportive housing development such as Catherine Alice Gardens will be.

With a building manager, therapeutic staff, case managers, social workers and treatment teams to see that the residents are not only screened but maintain standards of behavior that are consistent with the rules of the building.

I commend the Palatine plan commissioners for voting 7-1 at their most recent meeting to recommend approval of this residential development.

On July 8th at the Palatine Council meeting I urge the council members to also vote to approve this most needed community living space for our family and friends with disabilities.

Venus Gintowt

Palatine