Ringwood Home Press Release

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: Ringwood approves McHenry County’s first Shared Housing Establishment Contact: Brandon Schwab Phone: 815.790.2330 e-mail: brandon@shepherdresidentialcare.com Who: Brandon Schwab, President of Shepherd Residential Care Additional Contacts: Rick Mack (Brd Pres) 815.321.1898; Kelly Kepes (Brd Mbr) 815.728.1994 What: Village Board Approval of Conditional Use Permit for Shared Housing Establishment Where: 6809 Barnard Mill Road, Ringwood, IL When: Thursday, April 16, 2015 Brief: By a 5-to-1 vote, Thursday, April 23, the Ringwood Village Board approved a conditional use permit for Shepherd Residential Care’s SHE – Shared Housing Establishment at 6809 Barnard Mill Road. The vote, which follows the 6-0 approval of the conditional use permit by the Ringwood Zoning Board April 16, makes the planned senior care residence the first Shared Housing Establishment in McHenry County. Brandon Schwab, the president of Shepherd Residential Care, said the facility is a non-traditional alternative to the warehousing style of a senior care home. Only eight seniors will live in the home where they’ll receive senior care, along with meals and other services. It will have seven bedrooms and seven baths, a full kitchen and approximately 900-square-feet of library, reading, activity and family visiting rooms. Though in a residential neighborhood, the back of the home looks out on a farmer’s field providing residents with a peaceful setting. Kelley Kepes, a member of the Village Board and a supporter of the concept, said that she’s had experience with family members and senior homes. “We have a population that is aging rapidly and we need alternatives for living,” said Kepes. “The traditional senior home setting is not for everybody.” For those who raised concerns about the senior home, Kepes said she doesn’t think there’s any reason to worry. She doesn’t think the home will adversely affect property values and she said Shepherd Residential Care should be a good neighbor. Kepes also said the Village and Zoning Boards both did thorough jobs of vetting the concept before it was approved. The Zoning Board had 14 points they insisted on, such as the number of residents, maintenance of all appropriate licensing and the presence of a senior care giver at all times. Board President Rick Mack, the only board member to vote no, had five more points he insisted Shepherd Residential agree to. One of these included extending the license for Village review of the permit from 10 years to 20 years. Schwab said the scrutiny the board applied to the process was, in the end, quite welcome. “They were very thorough – didn’t miss anything,” he said. “I think that helped us to refine our concept and will make our home better in the end.”