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<br />takes to operate one of these facilities with a reasonable profit. Mr. Morau's cost might be quite lugh
<br />since he has a very big house, so the city is not bound by what his particular costs are, and the goal is
<br />not necessarily to put Mr. Moran in business, the goal should be to insure that these types of facilities
<br />can exist and thrive in single family d.istricts in North Olmsted. Mr. Moran does have a burden to make
<br />some presentation to show what the accommodation is, and his proposal is markedly d.ifferent that what
<br />he made in January when he requested nine residents. Now two months later he is proposing sixteeu.
<br />At tlus point Chairman Tallon asked for the auclience to participate. Mrs. Dingess, who owns the house
<br />next door, and advised that she could not attend the first meeting, but she did send a letter stating the
<br />facts as they were. She refuted Mr. Moran's statement that he raised his family there, and maintained
<br />that he never raised his family there. At the time he built the house, he said he had a large family and
<br />most of the neighbors signed a release to let him build that large a house. The only residents who lived
<br />there full time were Mr. Moran and Ms. Schneider and her two children. His other children came to
<br />spend vacation and holiday time, but not as permanent residents. She refuted W. Kramer's statement
<br />that there were sixteen bedxooms for sixteen clients, since he did not have sixteen bedrooms. The floor
<br />plau shown in previous hearings showed four bedrooms on the tlurd floor, and a kitchen, living and
<br />dining areas. He stated at tlie meeting of February 14th that there would be no mentally retarded, drug
<br />abusers, or alcoholics in the house; there would only be mildly hanclicapped people between the ages of
<br />40 and 65. Every time he comes to a meeting he tells a different tale. He presently has two businesses
<br />out of his house now. He has an office where Ms: Schneider and his daughter, Robin, work with a
<br />couple of other women and there is a asphalt business office in lus home. She stated that this is a
<br />congested street, and even if these-people do not have cars, relatives will visit. She was very opposed
<br />to this, and there were other people present at the last meeting who were opposed to it. There were
<br />variances that were asked for and were not granted at the last meeting. She asked that the board
<br />consider the neighbors. Robin Neelms, daughter of Mr. Moran, stated that she was raised in that house.
<br />Ms. Gdll, executive director of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Cuyahoga County, explained that hei
<br />organization consisted of family members who had loved ones with serious mental illness. She stated
<br />that their children are ill, and have been raised in the western suburbs, and the members of her group
<br />would like them to live in a group home where they could live a decent life. Their members have an
<br />average age of 65 and are very concemed about what will happen to their children when they can no
<br />longer care for them. She explained that the myth of danger of the mentally ill, is perpetuated through a
<br />lack of knowledge by most of the public. The vast majority of the mentally ill are, not dangerous, just
<br />like the rest of the population. The 2% that are dangerous and are housed in the North Coast
<br />Behavioral facility. The people in group homes are watched and cared for, their medications are
<br />monitored and they live a very structured life. They have activities to go to during the day. These
<br />people are not dangerous, they are intelligent, kind and loving, they have been struck down with a brain
<br />disorder, usually between the ages of 15 and 25 years old. One in four families have a family members
<br />with mental illness and 36 members of their group live in North Olmsted and have North Olmsted
<br />children with metal illness. She maintained that these people are frequently afraid of people, and are
<br />more victims than victimizers. They rarely go outside, they stay in their own rooms, they are not
<br />wandering around the neighborhood bothering people. There are new and improved medications for
<br />these people and both the mentally ill and their families are educated about their illness. To live in a
<br />group home, these people cannot be alcoholics or drug abusers, and they cannot take alcohol or drugs
<br />with their medications. There is a great need for these homes, and there are laws that communities must
<br />have these homes. She hoped that North Olmsted had the courage, foresight and kindness to approve
<br />these homes. She advised that there is a building on the east side with 18 apartments which is totally
<br />unsupervised and there have been no problems in the last three years. Previously, these same issue,,
<br />about cars and extra traffic were brought up when a home was proposed in Maple Heights, but now that
<br />the home is there, there are no cars or extra traffic. These people do not drive, sometimes a parent
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