Editorial misstated position on disabled

I am most disturbed that the Daily Herald would inaccurately state in an editorial that I wrote Arlington Heights in May 2010 to oppose a proposed site for housing for the mentally disabled near the town’s border with Buffalo Grove. That is a distortion of the letter I wrote, which did not urge Arlington Heights to oppose the project for special needs residents.

They also quoted the letter out of context, which failed to include the end of the sentence quoted. The full sentence read, “The concern is not the use itself; it is the excessive variations that are proposed for the site which are planning issues that may affect the ultimate residents of the project and the area of the proposal.”

The letter said it respected the right of Arlington Heights to approve or disapprove any project and merely urged Arlington Heights to follow the standards contained in their ordinances in their review of the project. The letter did not in any portion say that I or Buffalo Grove urged Arlington Heights to oppose the proposed site for the disabled.

I urged that variations be minimal in scope based on legitimate planning needs. My letter also pointed out that creating smaller units and reduced parking would be a disservice to the people with special needs.

I am proud of what we do and have done before and while I was village president and currently in Buffalo Grove for the special needs community. Through our disability commission, which can be model for all communities, we constantly advocate for those with special needs. That is why it was so hurtful to pick up the Herald and read an editorial that was just plain wrong with regard to myself and my community and the slap-down by innuendo which had no proper basis.

Elliott Hartstein

Former village president

Buffalo Grove