Group home set for Lindenwood

With the approval of Community Board 10 (CB10), the Bernard Fineson Developmental Center will be placing a group home in Lindenwood.
CB 10, which represents such neighborhoods like Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Lindenwood, however, got mixed reviews from its residents about the home. “There were some residents that were not angry, but rather concerned,” said Elizabeth Braton, chair of CB 10.
Braton admits that even though some members were not happy with the approval, the issue over the new group home consisted of “mostly people asking questions” and being concerned over how it was going to be staffed.
There really was not much residents could do to oppose the group home since it would be the first of its kind in Lindenwood.
“The only legal grounds to oppose a group home” would be if there was an over saturation of group homes already in that particular area, Braton pointed out.
Larry Rozelle, a developmental disabilities program specialist for Fineson, tried to ease people’s doubts over the issue by telling them to see it for themselves. “We invited some people to visit our existing group homes,” Rozelle said, referring to the over 20 homes in the city operated under Fineson.
Rozelle, nonetheless, accepted the public’s concern about this topic.
“People do not know what to expect from these homes,” he said.
He also described the meeting, which took place earlier this month, as “very low-keyed” in a “calm and cool environment.”
He remembers back to the 1980’s where such meetings over group homes got very emotional to say the least. Back then, there could be some “ranting and raving” but this was not the case.
Rozelle understands that people do get scared over a new establishment like a group home because “they’re afraid of what’s going to happen to their children,” and living space.
“I think we gave them the answers they needed,” Rozelle said.