LAKEVIEW — Rosecrance is putting down roots in Lakeview as it prepares to open its first Chicago addiction recovery residence next month.
As part of its efforts to be a good neighbor, the nonprofit addiction and mental health provider paid for and helped plant trees at the Belmont Harbor on Arbor Day, April 28.
The 15-foot burr oak trees replaced dying ash trees along the harbor, Rosecrance spokeswoman Judy Emerson said. The planting was in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and Openlands and also involved laying mulch and improving nearby green areas.
On the othe side of Lakeview, construction is plugging along at 3701 N. Ashland Ave., where the Rosecrance post-treatment residence for young adults is expected to open in early June. The inner structure is nearly complete, and Rosecrance will also plant trees along the building and the rooftop perimeter, Emerson said.
There is one potential snag in Rosecrance's otherwise rosy outlook: Nine neighbors have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the project.
The neighbors want the Cook County Circuit Court to reverse the October ruling granting Rosecrance a special use permit for sober living apartments.
The first hearing is set for May 24. The City of Chicago and its Zoning Board of Appeals are also named as defendants in the chancery lawsuit.
Opponents of Rosecrance Lakeview claim the arrival of tenants recovering from addiction will impact property values, cause nuisances and threaten public safety. Neighbors formed a committee and raised tens of thousands of dollars for legal support ahead of the October hearing.
Those who spoke out against Rosecrance also raised concerns that Rosecrance wasn't prepared for the differences between a 30-bed apartment building in Lakeview and the large, secluded homes it operates on sprawling campuses elsewhere.
For its part, Rosercrance vehemently denied that its residences affect property values or crime rates and assured neighbors that clients who broke the rules would be kicked out.
While Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) recommended restrictions for Rosecrance Lakeview including a Good Neighbor Agreement and a first-year resident cap, the zoning board declined to include them as conditions of its approval.
Rosecrance Lakeview. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Rosecrance still entered into the Good Neighbor Agreement in November. It dictates:
• A Good Neighbor Committee will meet monthly for up to two years and be composed of up to five community members recruited by Tunney and Rosecrance, plus a representative from Tunney's office and Rosecrance.
• Prescription drugs will not be dispensed on the property.
• The six three-bedroom units will have a maximum of 30 total residents. Applicants will be denied for "propensity to self-injury, suicidality, aggression or violence risk, acute eating disorder, inability to complete activities of daily living or registered sex offender," along with other exclusions.
• Curfew is at 11 p.m., and only family members, professionals or sponsors will be allowed to visit at any time. Loitering is not allowed.
• Smoking is prohibited on the perimeter of the building, but allowed on apartment balconies and the rooftop deck, which will be encircled with a 4-foot parapet topped with "close-set trees." The roof can be used until 10:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and until midnight Fridays-Saturdays.
• There will be staff on-site 24/7, and the grounds will be assessed daily for potential safety concerns and litter. Closed-circuit surveillance cameras will monitor the alley, sidewalks and parking area.
• Complaints must be documented and immediately investigated. Rosecrance must respond to credible complaints with a plan of correction within 72 hours.
Rosercrance Lakeview will run an outpatient counseling center on its first floor and sober living for young adults on the upper floors. Residents will pay about $2,500 per month.
The center is designed for clients who have already completed intense addiction treatment at inpatient centers, where clients typically stay for 35 to 40 days. Rosecrance Lakeview, meanwhile, hosts clients for up to 1½ years.
RELATED:
• Rosecrance Recovery Residence Coming To Lakeview In 2016 After Zoning Win
• Rosecrance Lakeview Decision To Come Following 8-Hour Zoning Hearing
• Tunney Will Back Rosecrance — If Everyone Agrees To Play Nice
• Lakeview Neighbors Quickly Recruit Manpower And Money To Fight Recovery Center
• Proposed Southport Addiction Recovery Center Blasted By Neighbors
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