Northfield Neighbors Push Back Against Senior Living Home Plans

CHICAGO (CBS)--Residents in the north suburban community of Northfield are fighting a proposed senior living facility that would open in an office building on Willow Road.

They deny being concerned about memory care patients joining the community, however.

Plans to build a 44-unit senior living home have passed two votes, but hundreds of neighbors are opposing the proposal. The Northfield Village Board will take a final vote at the Dec. 4 board meeting.

Neighbors of the proposed senior living facility have banded together in opposition by signing a petition, which so far has more than 300 signatures.

They believe the office building could be repurposed for better uses.

Northfield resident Charles Orth is leading the opposition against the facility, which would include 33 assisted living units and 11 apartments for patients with memory loss conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia.

Neighbors opposing the facility cite limited outdoor space, safety issues and increased residential flooding as some of the concerns.

"The overflow traffic already inundates our neighborhood," Orth said.

The developers have proposed parking cars in this Forest Preserve parking lot across Willow Road, and using a valet service during the holiday season.

"My biggest concern is they just steamroll and plow ahead to make a decision without getting the consensus of the residents around here," said resident Edward McDougal.

Developers behind the project and the Village Board both declined to discuss the proposal ahead of Tuesday night's vote at village hall. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.