Neighbors complain of safety, noise at 94 East Killingly Road group home

Several Foster residents urged the Town Council on Sept. 25 to intervene after repeated disturbances they attribute to a group home at 94 East Killingly Road.

The most direct request came from Mary Catherine Kent Rolo, a nearby resident, who said she and her family bought their house in 2024 and “if we knew how bad it was over there, we probably wouldn't have bought the house.”

Residents described recurring episodes of loud screaming, property incursions and an individual who “runs out of the house naked, threatening people,” accounts repeated by multiple speakers. Mike Rollo, who lives next door, said incidents have included residents walking into neighbors’ yards and “episodes where certain individuals are out front of the property late at night screaming and yelling.”

Joshua Adams said one resident repeatedly walks by neighbors with his pants falling down and has had several meltdowns; Adams reported that ambulance and police responses go to the property “almost every single day” and asked whether the facility pays for emergency-resource use. Diane Landry Bartel said attendants sometimes appear unable to control residents during walks and that she no longer feels safe opening windows or walking her dog alone.

Several speakers asked whether the home is state-run and what the residents’ diagnoses and lengths of placement are. Monica Davis, a registered nurse who spoke during public comment, said she understands the facility is state-run and noted “there are laws for that” about staffing ratios; she also said staffing appears insufficient and that volunteers and local responders are not trained to manage these incidents.

Councilmembers did not take formal action during the public-comment period. The speakers sought direction from the council on where to send complaints, how to learn whether placements are temporary or long term and what regulatory or licensing authority applies. The council acknowledged the concerns and indicated staff would follow up; no formal referral, enforcement action or state agency contact was recorded on the record during the meeting.

The issue is unresolved on the council record. Residents asked for clear next steps, including confirmation of the facility’s licensing and staffing ratios and whether the town can secure stronger oversight or require different staffing levels. Neighbors said they want the council’s assistance identifying whom to contact at the state level and whether any town-level actions are available.

The public-comment discussion stretched roughly two dozen minutes, involved more than a half-dozen speakers who live on or near East Killingly Road, and emphasized immediate safety concerns for families with small children living adjacent to the property.