Proposal for Haymarket drug treatment facility in Itasca opens to public questions July 14
After hearing 53 hours of virtual testimony over 9 months, the Itasca plan commission will give the public a chance to ask questions about the proposed Haymarket drug treatment facility proposal on July 14.
The in-person hearing will be held at 7 p.m. at Peacock Middle School, 301 E. North St.
Those wishing to submit public questions ahead of the July 14 meeting can ask their questions in person or by submitting them in advance at www.itasca.com/FormCenter/Haymarket-Proposal-13/Haymarket-Public-Comment-Form-60 . If you fill out the form, you must do so by 3 p.m. the day of the hearing.
The Chicago-based Haymarket Center is seeking permission from the village to convert a former Holiday Inn along Irving Park Road into a 240-bed facility for adult patients with drug and alcohol use disorders.
The plan commission is holding a series of public hearings on the proposal. Eventually, the panel will make a recommendation to the village board, which has the final say.
The final testimony came from Haymarket CEO Dan Lustig, who defended the proposal against Itasca Fire Protection District Chief James Burke and Itasca Elementary District 10 Superintendent Craig Benes' claims that it would place an unfair burden on the village.
"When clients come to Haymarket, they're trying to get their lives back," Lustig said. "They are not looking for housing and education. They are people who need immediate treatment."
Burke testified such a facility would cause a 23% percent increase in ambulance calls. He estimated the number of calls in the village could climb by 379 a year.
A Haymarket attorney said the Itasca location won't match the numbers at Haymarket's headquarters in the West Loop area of Chicago in part because it provides some services the Itasca facility wouldn't and because the Chicago location takes in more homeless people who often require greater medical care.
Lustig noted because the Itasca facility would not offer mother-and-child services, it would have no effect on the school district.
"Haymarket is a powerful resource in the battle against substance abuse and mental health disorders," Lustig said. "We urge you not to ignore what Haymarket can bring to the community."
James Dietsel, a member of the Concerned Citizens of Itasca group that formed in opposition to Haymarket, said he is happy to see the hearings finally come to a close so the public can have its say.
"It's a relief that we're finally seeing the finish line," Dietsel said. "I'm assuming both parties agree on that," Dietsel said.