Proposed Group Home

Issues relating to the license application for a group home

Dear Neighbors,

Alderman Bohl sent out a letter dated February 25, 2009 to some of the households in our neighborhood regarding a license application to establish a group home for adolescents with special needs at 11126 West Sanctuary Drive. Many of us who do not live within the defined zone for notification by the City did not receive this letter directly, but rather through an e-mail from an outraged neighbor. The possibility of a group home for adolescents within the subdivision has aroused much concern. Board members have received numerous telephone calls and e-mails.

We have been working with our neighbor and state representative Fred Kessler to obtain a copy of the license application, to learn more about the status of the application, and to explore a course of action. Fred has now provided us a copy of the following documents attached to this e-mail: 1) the license application, excluding any attachments, 2) statutory provisions that define the authority of cities to regulate the establishment of “community and other living arrangements,” and 3) a description of the property from a realtor flyer for 11126 West Sanctuary Drive.

At this point, this is what we know, which is public information:

1. The Wisconsin state Department of Children and Family Services reviews and grants licenses for community living arrangements such as the proposed group home.

2. The license application for a group home for adolescents was filed by Baboonie Tatum ( residing at 7035 W. Acacia, Milwaukee 53223) , owner of Wings of Aspirations, LLC on February 1, 2009. Larina Hightower, current owner of 11126 West Sanctuary Drive, proposes to be the Program Manager for the group home. The registered agent for Wings of Aspirations LLC is Regina L. Hardman of 5688 N. 78th Street, Milwaukee 53218.

3. The proposed opening date is April 1, 2009.

4. The children to be served are females only, ages 14-17, with one or more of the following characteristics: alcohol and drug abuse, children in need of protection, delinquent corrections, developmental disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders.

Fred Kessler is still investigating the status of the application.

We are trying to obtain several key pieces of information such as:

1. What are the statutory, code and administrative detailed requirements for the qualifications and characteristics of the applicant, the program manager and the facility?

2. Does the applicant (Wings of Aspirations, LLC) meet the qualifications for a license of this type? We are yet unable to find information on any other group home that this company operates.

3. Does the home of the Hightowers meet the requirements for a facility that would house up to eight adolescent girls, plus the Hightowers and their children, if they intend to live there?

4. What authority does the City have on what aspects of the establishment and operation of a group home such as the applicant proposes? At this time, it appears that only when is a) there is an established community living facility within 2,500 feet or less of the proposed facility, 2) that the total capacity of community living arrangements exceed 25 or one per cent of the population of an aldermanic district that the City can require an exception.

We are prepared to convene a general meeting of the GHNA neighborhood as soon as we obtain sufficient information to rationally discuss alternatives. In the meantime, we are pursuing informal talks with those involved in the application in the hopes that we can be better informed before moving forward.

We will be in touch again soon.

Sincerely,

Helen Harris
Board President

Posted: February 28, 2009