Home for Developmentally Disabled Approved by Plan Commission

A passion-filled meeting that brought residents from all over southeastern Wisconsin to City Hall ended when the Waukesha Plan Commission agreed to allow St. Coletta of Wisconsin to place one community based residential facility for the developmentally disabled in a residential neighborhood Wednesday night.

St. Coletta had already sued the City of Waukesha in June after its proposal to place two group homes in the Welsh Oaks subdivision was denied. Mayor Jeff Scrima did not participate in the discussion at the Plan Commission because a relative is involved in the project with St. Coletta.

 Both the previously proposal and the proposal given Wednesday night needed a special exception because the facility was within 2,500 feet of another facility.

However, an attorney from St. Coletta argued that the state law and city ordinance was superseded by federal laws that states communities can’t discriminate in where housing goes for disabled people.

“Folks, we are talking about St. Coletta’s, not the Irish National Army,” said Menomonee Falls resident Dennis Farrel, whose son lives in a St. Coletta’s home in Waukesha.

Farrel said that his son has lived in a community based living facility for years and there have been no problems with the neighbors. Other neighborhoods that don’t have group homes have other problems sometimes, he said, including keg parties.

“Believe me, St. Coletta doesn’t any keggers,” Farrel said.

Several developmentally disabled residents of St. Coletta homes spoke during the meeting  to urge the Plan Commission to approve the exception.

“I’m trying to have some dignity and respect,” one man said.

“We are a family. We believe in dreams,” said another man, reading from a paper. “… We love each other and we care for each our whole lives.”

During Wednesday’s meeting and several previous meetings, people in the Welsh Oaks subdivision argued that placing another group home in the area would give a clustering affect and that the group homes proposed were too large and would not fit into the character of the neighborhood. Others argued that to grant the exception, it would set a precedent in the city.

“You are doing nothing but weakening the law that we have on the books by the state of Wisconsin,” said Waukesha resident Chris Bauman.

A large group of supporters for St. Coletta made statements that if Waukesha did not approve an exception for the group home, the city would be showing that it is discriminating.

Alderwoman Joan Francoeur took exception to those statements. She noted the number of agencies and non-profit organizations that are placed in the city that do all they can to help those in need.

“We are welcoming and we do embrace everyone,” Francoeur.

Francoeur said she would like the city to review its zoning code and the state law about the 2,500 foot spacing requirement after going through the process with St. Coletta.

“I would like those to be aligned now, so that no one in the future believes that they are doing the right thing,” Francoeur said only to find out later that the rules in place do not apply.