Schaumburg trustees favor moving nursing division
Schaumburg trustees will vote Tuesday on whether to direct village staff to relocate the village's nursing division to Town Square and demolish the approximately 70-year-old Slingerland House where it's been for the last 22 years.
Despite an impassioned plea from Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson, trustees voted 5-1 in a committee of the whole meeting this past Tuesday to recommend that proposal from village staff.
The alternative option, favored by Larson, is to remodel the ranch house at 521 E. Schaumburg Road and bring it into full compliance with the regulations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The estimated cost of such an upgrade is $375,000, according to village staff.
"I'd favor spending the money to remodel there," Larson said. "If there's something that needs to be done to it to bring it up to code, let's do it."
But most trustees argued such an option was throwing good money after bad.
"It seems ridiculous to invest that kind of money into a house like that," Trustee Tom Dailly said. "We have a nursing division that can't meet our own codes."
Trustee George Dunham said he generally agreed with Dailly, but didn't like the idea of paying rent on a commercial storefront indefinitely.
Trustee Frank Kozak suggested building a code-compliant facility - possibly on the site of the Slingerland House - after moving the nursing division somewhere with a short-term lease.
But as even a one-year lease would require an upfront investment in a new location, Dailly said he supported the staff recommendation to seek a five-year lease.
"To me, this proposal gets us out of somewhere we shouldn't be and buys us time to think about what's next," he said.
Only Trustee Jack Sullivan voted against recommending the plan.
While staff suggested Town Square at Schaumburg and Roselle roads as a place where seniors already go for other services, Larson argued the Slingerland House provides more privacy for those using public health services and the medical-equipment loan program.
"It's a great location," Larson said of the Slingerland House. "It's certainly better than the bustle of Town Square."