Lake County board approves new nursing home
With an overwhelming 22-1 vote, the Lake County Board today approved building a new county nursing home to replace the aging Winchester House in Libertyville.
The smaller, roughly 175-bed skilled nursing facility will be built near the existing nursing home off Winchester Road. The county has operated a home for the elderly at that location since 1847.
More than 70 advocates from nonprofit Lake County United joined Winchester House staff and several residents in wheelchairs, walkers and canes in cheering from the packed audience seats and an overflow room once roll was called on the vote.
"This day was a long time coming,"Winchester House Director Jamie Weibeler said. "There was a lot of anticipation about the vote today. With the discussions over the last two years, there was a lot of uncertainty which direction the board would want to go with the decision."
County board committees had discussed pros and cons of three options: closing Winchester House entirely; rehabbing the existing facility home; and building a new nursing home.
Staff and residents at the nursing home watched the vote go down, as the meeting was televised on TV screens throughout the building.
"I didn't think it was going to go through that easy but it did,"Frank Costa, 56, president of the Winchester House resident council, said as he was wheeled out of the county board meeting room. "I'm surprised."
Costa had expected more "no" votes. He was relieved months of lobbying by residents, staff and advocates paid off.
It will cost taxpayers $31 million to build a new nursing home. Officials expect to fund it through bonds to be repaid over 20 years with operating revenues and property taxes.
That facility will likely not be operational for another four years. The county must first start the Certificate of Need process to win approval from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. That could take up to 18 months.
The county board also gave a green light to staff to study the possibility of building a separate 60-unit supportive living facility to complement the nursing home for an extra $12 million.