Board hears appeal of denial for community living arrangement at 8484 N. 66th St.; motion to deny fails

The Brown Deer Village Board on April 20 heard an appeal from a property owner seeking occupancy approval for a community living arrangement at 8484 North 66th Street, a four‑bed facility that the applicant said had functioned as an adult family home for two decades.

Village attorney Stephen Barer (village attorney) briefed the board on the legal framework, saying state law establishes a 2,500‑foot spacing rule for community living arrangements but provides that municipalities may grant discretionary exceptions. Barer told trustees the board should evaluate impacts on health, safety, neighborhood character, traffic and demand for services when considering an exception.

The applicant’s representative argued the house has been a longtime, "legacy" adult family home — operating in some form since about 2003 and purchased by the current owner in 2021 — and said that legacy status and two decades of operation distinguish the property from more recent conversions. The representative said the home’s vacancy was the result of a funding lapse for a prior tenant and asked the board to grant an exception rather than force the owner to restart at the back of a licensing queue.

Trustees asked detailed questions about the facility’s recent vacancy period, prior occupancy permits and whether the village exceeded its local cap (1% of population) for community living arrangements. Staff noted the village’s resolution (Resolution 2510) that implements a locally adopted moratorium-like policy after finding the village above the 1% threshold; staff indicated the property is near other facilities and that the board’s discretion should consider recent approvals of other exceptions.

Trustee Johnson moved to deny the appeal under Resolution 2510; Trustee Thompson seconded. The roll-call/voice vote recorded in the transcript excerpt was unclear in counting; the meeting record indicates the motion to deny did not pass in the portion of the transcript provided. No further, clearly recorded approval of an exception appears in the excerpt.

Next steps: the transcript ends with the failed denial motion in the excerpt. The board did not record — in the provided segments — a final grant of the exception, and the record shows trustees continuing to other agenda items.