Residents for and against a proposed 71-unit senior housing complex in Country Club Hills jammed City Council chambers this week to voice their views on the project, and while all agreed on the need for the housing, opponents charged the complex is too large for a residential neighborhood and will bring down property values.
For two years, Rev. Paul Seaman, pastor of St. Emeric Catholic Church, and his parishioners have been planning for senior housing at Ravisloe Terrace and 180th Street. The 2.5-acre site is part of the parish’s 10-acre complex that includes a church, a school and meeting facilities.
The proposed senior facility would be owned and operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD already has provided $6 million toward the project.
Residents living in the immediate area said they fear the senior complex will eventually be converted into a HUD building with troubled residents bringing all the problems of urban life.
Tony Bryant, president of the Cambridge Hawthorne Homeowners Association, complained the complex will “either be shanty type construction or a Sears Tower” that will bring down property values.
“That is a terrible distortion,” Seaman told the audience. “For the next 40 years it is guaranteed this building will be for senior housing.” He invited audience members to see any of the six senior complexes operated by Catholic Charities, including Lawrence Manor in Matteson and the new Cardinal Bernardin House in Calumet City.
Supporters argue the complex will not detract but add to the city’s charm. “Do you think we would possibly do something to harm you?” asked Alice Zajac. “We love you, just as we love this community.”
“Please love us enough to be concerned about where you’re placing it,” Gloria Edwards told Zajac.
The project has won approval by the Country Club Hills Zoning Board and is before the zoning and planning committee of the city council, which will continue its review of the proposal at a 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
School work: Flossmoor District 161 board members agreed unanimously this week to make $6 million worth of improvements to four of the district’s schools to meet projected enrollment increases over the next five years.
The work will be funded by money the district has collected since a 1995 referendum measure passed.
The work will eliminate the need for mobile classrooms now at Flossmoor Hills, Western Avenue and Heather Hills Schools, and relieve overcrowded conditions at the other buildings.
Architects will be asked to make final plans for additional classroom and work space, storage facilities and meeting rooms at Flossmoor Hills, Heather Hill and Western Avenue Schools and Parker Junior High. The board also agreed to update Normandy Villa, where the district’s offices are located.
Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2001-02 school year, Board President David Carvalho said.
Preacher honored: Every Sunday morning, radio listeners across the country tune into a Lutheran preacher who commonly refers to his hometown, Chicago Heights, in his broadcasts.
Chicago Heights recently honored Dale A. Meyer for his accomplishments, which include a TV show, numerous roles in the Lutheran Church, and the radio show that can be heard on WGN-AM Sundays at 6 a.m.
Mayor Angelo Ciambrone has declared March “Dr. Dale A. Meyer Appreciation Month” and the City Council unanimously voted in favor of Highland Drive being renamed in his honor.
“Compared to other honors, this is unique,” Meyer said. “It comes from the good people of my hometown.”
Due to his busy schedule, Meyer was unable to attend the ceremony, but his family was given a plaque and certificate.
