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Palatine group home allowed to add one more resident

After operating all summer without incident, a Palatine group home that faced earlier opposition from neighbors will be allowed to care for one additional patient.

The Palatine village council on Monday approved a request by Carbondale-based NeuroRestorative to house five adults with traumatic brain injuries at 1158 N. Deer Ave., which is one person more than allowed under village code.

Village Manager Reid Ottesen said staff recommended the special use be granted “given that they don't have plans for any further expansion, (there will be) no exterior modification, no new staff and they've dealt with parking issues which have been before us.”

Mayor Jim Schwantz and Councilman Tim Millar voted against the expansion.

The council heard the proposal back in June but delayed taking a vote after some neighbors, whose earlier opposition ultimately prompted officials to reduce the number of permitted residents in similar facilities, pushed back at the latest request.

Officials agreed to examine how the group home operated during the summer when more kids are active in its neighborhood.

The group home didn't generate any police or fire response and previous complaints about parked cars blocking the sidewalks didn't resurface, but a few neighbors maintained their opposition. They said the review period didn't paint a true picture because the group home wasn't at capacity most of the summer.

Frank Annerino said that increasing the number of patients will result in decreased attention to their care. He said overcrowding could become an issue, and that he moved into the neighborhood because it was nice and quiet.

“I just don't want it to be a problem area that everybody's stuck with,” he said, adding that a widely circulated petition last year showed neighbors supported a maximum of four residents.

Ottesen said that if the group home operated in a manner that wasn't consistent with its proposal or compromised the health, safety or welfare of the area, the village could revoke the special use.

NeuroRestorative representatives agreed the company wouldn't approach the council with another request to expand. They previously said that doing so would require more staff parking, but parking at the property is already at capacity and the village doesn't allow overflow vehicles to park on the street.

Palatine delays vote on group home’s request to expand

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