By David Tyler
The town of DeWitt will not intercede in the siting of a group home for young adults with developmental disabilities at 228 Edwards Drive.
On Monday, Nov. 23, the board held a lengthy public comment period on the home, which is being proposed by Community Options, a national not-for-profit that provides a variety of services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Previously, some residents of Edwards Drive had petitioned the board to block the group home, citing traffic and safety concerns among other things. Some residents cited “behavioral” issues that might endanger children in the neighborhood.
The group home would provide housing for four young adults and would be staffed by two to three people per shift.
There are federal laws that restrict the flexibility of municipalities when considering the siting of group homes. The town can either accept the location, reject it, or suggest alternative locations. It can’t, however, be rejected because of neighborhood attributes or opposition from neighbors. Those laws also indicate that group homes should be considered the same as a single-family residence for the purposes of planning and zoning, as well as any permitting process for building expansions or enhancements.
In October, responding to concerns from neighbors, Supervisor Ed Michalenko said he would provide Community Options with potential additional sites within the town, but said the town has little standing to reject the group home outright.
Councilor Sam Young indicated that he had reviewed a list of alternative locations provided by Edwards Drive residents and forwarded that on to Community Options, but was told “these sites were not acceptable.”
“The non-profit, Community Options, did their due diligence [in selecting the Edwards Drive location],” Young said, citing the ranch style and additional parking at the home.
Kerry Coleman-Harrick, a special education teacher and the current owner of 228 Edwards Drive, said the dispute over the group home has driven a wedge between neighbors on the quiet dead-end street.
“Fear makes us act in uncharacteristic ways and can often bring out the worst in our character,” she said. She urged the board not to block the sale of the home to Community Options.
“Denial of this use of this property creates fair housing concerns,” said Sally Santangelo of CNY Fair Housing, a local non-profit organization that fights housing discrimination. “They deserve to live in a nice neighborhood, just as anyone else in this town deserves.”
Several speakers who don’t live on Edwards Drive advocated for the approval of the group home, citing a lack of available housing for both children and adults with special needs.
The home at 228 Edwards Drive sits on a double lot, and several neighbors questioned whether Community Options could expand the home to house additional residents.
Jodie Burkinshaw of Community Options said that the license would be for four residents only and that the organization does not develop larger facilities.
Michalenko said he would try to restrict expansion of the home in the future.
“If there’s a way of binding this for future boards, we will do so,” he said.
The meeting, which was held at DeWitt Town Hall and stretched for more than four and a half hours, was marred by a variety of technical challenges that prevented those participating online from hearing many of the speakers. With the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Onondaga County, the board will be moving future meetings back to a remote format.
