Village President Gives Expectations for Proposed Assisted Living Facility

A little more than a week after Eden Supportive Living’s application for a special use permit for the Washington Square property at 10 N. Washington in Hinsdale , the Village of Hinsdale emailed a letter from Village President Tom Cauley to Michael Hamblet, Eden’s general manager, detailing the board's expectations for the application moving forward.

Cauley makes clear in his letter that, in light of Eden’s change from a personal care facility to a combo personal care-senior housing facility in its application, the zoning code provision that doesn’t allow a personal care facility to be across the street from a single-family residential district will no longer affect the permit application.

Instead, another section of the code, related to the establishing of local demand for a senior housing facility, will need to be considered.

According to Cauley’s letter, Section 4-107(B)(1) of the Hinsdale Zoning Code reads, “No special use permit for senior citizen housing shall be granted except on evidence satisfactory to the board of trustees that there is, and will for the foreseeable future continue to be, a ready market demand among current area residents for all of the dwelling units in the senior housing development.”

Cauley writes that in order for a special use permit to be granted, Eden will have to present evidence to the Plan Commission that all 83 dwelling units in the proposed facility can be filled with residents of Hinsdale and its surrounding communities. 

The letter states that such evidence needs to go beyond a study of the number of disabled or seniors citizens in the area, and establish “ready market demand in the Hinsdale area.”

Village Manager Dave Cook said senior-citizen housing facilities need to adhere to the village’s demand provision because they get certain allowances elsewhere in the code, such as building height.

“In order to be allowed those additional provisions,” Cook said, an applicant needs to prove its facility is worthwhile. “Obviously, you don’t want an empty building sitting somewhere.”

Cauley expresses skepticism that having a combo facility that contains disabled residents who range from 22 years old to senior citizens.

“Given that the facility Eden now proposes includes such a broad range of potential occupants, with vastly different needs and interests,” the village president’s letter reads, “I am concerned the that the proposed facility will appeal to no one, and will attract few local area residents.”

Cook said he thinks the closing of a mostly empty Washington Square at the same location “is at the forefront in the minds of a lot of board members.”

Cauley's letter makes recommendations that Eden set aside a certain percentage of its rooms for residents from Hinsdale and the surrounding area and provide those residents with rate discounts and priority consideration.

Cauley also suggests that Eden provide the Plan Commission and Board of Trustees design plans that show attractive interior spaces and amenities as well as detailed standards of supervision beyond a statement that the supervision will meet Illinois standards.

The village president’s letter says that the Village of Hinsdale will be getting little revenue from the establishment of the facility.

“Thus, I believe that Eden should provide some form of compensation to the Village to obtain a special use permit for a Planned Development at 10 N. Washington.”

Cauley suggests an amount equal to the price of a new ambulance for the fire department, which he said would likely field 200 additional fire or ambulance calls per year if the facility was established.

Cook said Cauley’s letter, in principle, is a reaction to what members of the public said they wanted the village to do at the June 21 Board of Trustees meeting.

“At the meeting, the board was asked to remand this back but help them in the process,” Cook said. “I think the board has done that.”

Cook said Eden’s public hearing with the Plan Commission will take place July 13. The Plan Commission would vote on a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on Aug. 10 and the special use permit would be back in front of Cauley and the trustees on Aug. 16. 

The village manager had not heard from anyone at Eden as of Thursday morning.