Volo trustees unanimously approve special‑use permit for group home despite resident opposition

The Village of Volo Board of Trustees voted unanimously March 31 to approve Ordinance No. O-26-03, granting a special‑use permit to Wentworth Homes, LLC to operate a group home at 34052 N Fischer Drive. The motion was made by Trustee Porter and seconded by Trustee Wagner; the roll call recorded Trustees Wagner, Porter, Johnson, Heuser, Buttita and Komas voting "aye." The ordinance was approved "subject to certain conditions," which are not detailed in the meeting minutes.

Eight residents spoke during the public comment period before the vote, telling the board they opposed placing the group home in a single‑family residential neighborhood. Commenters raised concerns about how the home would be administered and operated, referenced possible prior legal claims involving the applicant, and asked trustees to ensure the administrative record reflected worries about procedural defects, discrimination, pre‑leasing and institutional practices. The minutes do not record direct quotations from callers or any board responses to those specific allegations.

After the board approved the ordinance, two additional individuals spoke to express disbelief and displeasure with the decision. No further actions, appeals, or follow‑up steps are recorded in the minutes. Mayor Stephen Henley called the special meeting to order at 6:00 P.M.; the board adjourned at 6:37 P.M.

The minutes identify Village Clerk Colleen M. Huhn as the recordkeeper. The ordinance number and the listed address provide the principal formal details of the board's action; the minutes say the approval is "subject to certain conditions" but do not specify those conditions or any timetable for their satisfaction.