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Committee delays nursing home patio project after architect outlines lengthy IDPH review, upfront costs
Summary
LaSalle County committee voted to postpone action on a planned patio at the county nursing home after DCA Architects explained Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) review steps, required design team roles, and up‑front professional fees; committee will revisit the project after reviewing next year—s nursing home budget in September.
Kurt Rimley, an architect with DCA Architects, told the LaSalle County committee on Aug. 11 that a proposed patio and screen-porch conversion at the county nursing home will require a multistep review and multiple professional consultants under Illinois Department of Public Health rules. “IDPH is involved in every level of the project,” Rimley said, describing 30- and 60-day state review windows and multiple resubmission cycles that can push construction into the following year.
The explanation prompted the committee to delay any decision on the patio until it reviews the nursing home budget in September. Nancy Urich made the motion to postpone; Bill Brown seconded, and the motion passed.
Why it matters: the committee had previously discussed a patio estimated in April 2025 at roughly $255,000 (professional fees plus construction estimate). Committee members and the architect said IDPH review timing and weather windows for concrete work pose a real risk of not completing construction in the next available season unless design steps are started quickly.
Rimley gave specifics of the review and cost structure. He said the project requires an architect plus mechanical, plumbing, fire-protection and civil engineers; those consultants and the nursing home must submit a design-development package to IDPH and pay state review fees. Rimley said his firm—s combined professional-services proposal for the full design and construction‑phase administration is $55,000; a construction estimate provided in April was roughly $202,000–$205,000. Rimley warned that, given market escalation and review timing, the committee should expect the total budgeted amount to be higher than the April estimate and said the figure could approach $300,000 if costs rise.
Rimley also described operational impacts of converting covered exterior space to conditioned, interior use: fire-suppression systems must be reviewed and, in at least one example he gave, a dry-pipe sprinkler system would need conversion to a wet-pipe system; HVAC and electrical loading must be reviewed; and an IDPH floodplain certification may be required because of the facility—s proximity to the river. The project footprint discussed ranged from an earlier 26-by-33 proposal up to roughly 40-by-40 feet after the committee accommodated donated furnishings.
Committee chair Kathy Bright and other members cited budget timing concerns and asked that the entire nursing-home budget be shared before the committee resumes the project decision. Rimley recommended starting professional services early in a fiscal year (ideally in June) so IDPH reviews can be completed before contractors bid during the next construction season.
The committee did not vote to authorize any professional fees or to release the project for bidding; instead it agreed to postpone the decision until the September budget review.
