Palatine Increases Number Allowed in Group Home

Palatine officials agreed this week to allow more residents to live at a group home for adults with traumatic brain injuries.

The home at 1158 N. Deer Avenue operated by NeoroRestorative was already permitted to have four residents under village code.

Despite complaints from neighbors, the board voted to allow the number of residents to increase, and be capped at five.

NeoroRestorative, which has been operating the home since November, came to the village board in June seeking approval for an additional resident.

After neighbors voiced complaints in June about parking issues at the home, the board delayed the vote until the  end of the summer, saying they would see how the home operated over the summer months.

Village staff said the home had no issues over the summer with police, fire or anything else in the village, and also it also corrected the parking problem.

Andrew Fiske, attorney representing the home, said NeuroRestorative has tried hard to meet any and all requirements.

“The petitioner has worked diligently to be a good neighbor,” he said.

The home did invite neighbors to an open house to see what it was like, and ask any questions they had about it.

Neighbors, who say they collected more than 200 signatures from Palatine residents opposing the increase, still were worried at this week’s village board meeting that it wouldn’t be good for the area.

Resident Mark LaSpisa who live son Deer Avenue near the home said the residents at home are constantly changing and they worry who might move in there.

He said there is one man at the home who goes for walks in the neighborhood and is very nice and talkative. However, he fears that they might not all be like that.

“When you’re dealing with someone who may have been a gun shot victim or whatever it is, they’re not always good guys,” he said.

Nearby resident Frank Annerino of Palos Avenue agreed that the home has fixed the parking issue and things are going well.

However, he worried that with more residents, and the same number of staff, the attention to each of the residents might decrease. At one point, they did have a resident who was wandering the neighborhood and lost from the staff, he said.

"I just don't want it to become a problem area that everyone is then stuck with," he said.

Village staff, who recommended approval of the project, said if the home did become a problem, they could always address it at that point.

The board voted in favor or increase, with trustees Tim Brad Helms and Millar voting no.