The Northbrook Village Hall boardroom was packed on Feb. 7 at the Board of Trustees meeting with supportive neighbors outnumbering objecting residents.
Tuesday night’s overwhelming favorable audience included young adults and families who have benefited from services provided by Providence Farm, LLC. Feb. 7 was a sobering turn of events from boardroom drama last Sept. 13 for Providence Farm.
Sept. 13 was when many Northbrook neighbors turned out in force to object to Providence Farm’s plans to convert its recently purchased 479 Lee Road property to a community residence for 18 to 30-year-old men in recovery from substance abuse, mental health issues and trauma.
That Sept. 13, some Lee Road area neighbors became verbally abusive and confrontational with Pioneer Press in the boardroom hallway as they angrily left municipal premises.
To the dismay of dissenting property owners, the 479 Lee Road residence, with its circular front driveway, sold last August for $1.7 million for Providence Farm usage.
Northbrook-based Providence Farm, which has operated an adult transitional facility since 2017 in Northbrook on Sunset Ridge Road, asked the board to increase the number of Lee Road residents to 13 people (12 resident males in recovery and one staff overnight person) at the nearly 7,000 foot residence.
The Lee Road home accommodates eight people. The increase will help to serve Providence Farm’s current but temporary waiting list.
Young males receiving Providence Farm services stay for multiple months before transitioning to living accommodations including The Elaine luxury apartment complex in east Northbrook.
The ordinance for a special permit to allow the resident increase was on the Feb. 7 consent agenda in a board process which would have allowed streamlined approval with other consent agenda items.
But the Lee Road Providence Farm item was pulled from the consent agenda at the request of three trustees for discussion before voting.
Parking remained a concern. Trustees had questions about first responder and mobility user accommodations on the curved front drive along Lee Road. Would a lane be left open for easy emergency access to the front door?
The home’s three car garage is off Fairway Lane. A reconfigured driveway will accommodate five overnight resident cars.
Fairway Lane also serves several homeowners living close to former Green Acres Country Club land. Tight vehicle turnaround on Fairway Lane has been an issue.
“I don’t want to police them (Providence Farm) and I don’t want to put the neighbors in a situation where they have to continually report, report, report,” Trustee Muriel Collison said. “It just doesn’t feel like this beautiful neighborhood and it just doesn’t feel like Northbrook to me, it feels very unsettling.”
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Collison did say, “I love what Providence Farm does.”
“I’m not sure why we’re rushing to go right to 13,” Collison said, hoping instead for a gradual request.
One Fairway Lane resident indicated at the boardroom podium that Providence Farm’s Lee Road residential garage was filled with items, signaling improper usage meant for cars.
Providence Farm Founder and Clinical Director Stephanie Zwilling approached the podium to correct that observation, defending the Lee Road garage as not being messy.
“Our garage is actually seriously spotless,” Zwilling said later to Pioneer Press. “I don’t know why he (objecting neighbor) said that.
“That’s one of those things that’s just untrue,” Zwilling said.
Scoffing in the audience was overheard. Facial expressions among audience members indicated support or disdain with the Providence Farm ask. Zwilling was seen buckling under the stress, leaning over in a front chair in a near fetal position in response to deliberations overheard.
Ultimately, the request to increase the home’s residency was overwhelmingly approved with Collison as the sole no vote.
After the amended ordinance was passed, the board took a recess to allow the filled boardroom to clear out. Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla left the dais seat to personally hug and congratulate Zwilling.
“I think this is wonderful,” Ciesla said on the boardroom floor before resuming the rest of the evening’s agenda.
“It’s just proof that Stephanie’s (Zwilling) work matters,” Ciesla said.
“Like parents came up to us, me, crying, saying that their kids’ lives are saved because of places like Providence Farm,” Ciesla also said to Pioneer Press. “How can you say no?”
Ciesla noted how families and “tons” of young people showed up to fill the boardroom to support Zwilling.
“Of course,” Ciesla said, “because they’re very awesome.”
Zwilling smiled nervously before exiting the boardroom.
“I’m super shaky honestly, like, look, my legs are shaking, that’s what I am,” Zwilling said.
Zwilling said that going from eight residents to 13 is not a large jump for a sprawling house that size.
“There’s room,” Zwilling said with a smile.
Renovations at 479 Lee Road will take three to six months, Zwilling estimated. Through construction, Zwilling said maybe three more residents could be taken in for the short term.
Regarding area homeowners, “Most of the neighbors are awesome,” Zwilling said.
“Most of the neighbors have been really lovely, you’re just seeing some of the others,” Zwilling said of dissenters present on Feb. 7 or those against the ordinance whose emails were read aloud for the record.
“We’re good neighbors,” Zwilling said. “We know we are.”
Learn more about Providence Farm at https://pfcommunity.org.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.