North Aurora: Make sure no criminals live at planned assisted-living center

If a new assisted-living center is built in North Aurora, village trustees want to make sure criminals can't live there.

Developer Mark Sorrentino is seeking a special-use permit to build a 168-unit assisted-living and memory-care center near Randall Road and Miller Drive.

The village's plan commission has approved granting the use, but village staff are recommending that several provisions be added by the village board.

One is that at least one resident of each unit be 55 or older, and that those younger than 55 undergo a criminal-background check. Those who have convictions for crimes against persons, including homicide and child sexual abuse, would be prohibited from living there. Those convicted of lesser crimes would be allowed in if the conviction was more than 10 years ago.

The village's fears come out of its dealings with a nursing home in the village that was originally set up as a sheltered-care facility "for the care of the aged." In recent years, that home started housing mentally ill people, and about 60 percent of its residents were younger than 60. Nearby residents complained that residents were roaming the neighborhood soliciting money; a school next-door complained residents were walking on school grounds, and that some also swore at staff and schoolchildren. One person complained of seeing people urinate outside the building.

In response, the village revoked the home's previous permit and enacted a new one - requiring criminal background checks and more secure doors and fencing - in June 2009.

Trustee Vince Mancini said this week he thought it would be discriminatory to only do background checks on the younger residents; he favored checking every resident's history.

"I find it tremendously offensive to fingerprint Grandma," Sorrentino responded, saying his intended clientele are not likely to be troublemakers.

"I don't," Mancini said, mentioning a grandmother he believes may have been abused in a nursing home. Village President Dale Berman said he personally would feel safer if all were checked.

The village also wants the special-use permit to run with the applicant, not the land, meaning any new owners would have to come before the board for a new permit.

Sorrentino said that would be a deal-breaker, as he doubts any bank would lend him money for the propjet if it can't be assured the center can continue to exist if the property changes hands.

Sorrentino repeatedly stressed that he intends for the majority of the residents to be 55 or older, a group not likely to cause trouble he believes. "Who do you think is going to move in here?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I want to know before they move in here," Mancini said.

The board did not vote on the matter. It instead directed the village's community development director to discuss the application and proposed changes again with Sorrentino.