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Town of Mukwonago group home proposal, neighbors raise concerns
Some Town of Mukwonago homeowners have questions about their new neighbor, and they have a paper trail to prove it. Dozens of people want answers about a $1 million house on Red Brae Drive turning into a group home.
MUKWONAGO, Wis. - Some Town of Mukwonago homeowners have questions about their new neighbor, and they have a paper trail to prove it. Dozens of people want answers about a $1 million house on Red Brae Drive turning into a group home.
Home sold for $1 million
The backstory:
When this Town of Mukwonago home sold earlier this year for more than $1 million, neighbors were naturally curious about who would be moving in. "They had an out-of-state address – and just being a neighbor, you dig into this and find out what's going on," Toby Hartman said.
Zillow listing
Dig deeper:
Hartman did a deep dive and has not stopped digging after what he found. Hartman learned two physicians purchased the house and got permission from the town to use it as an eight-person group home called Legacy Recovery Center.
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Hartman and about 100 of his neighbors formed the online group: Concerned Families of Mukwonago. Their website outlines their main concern. While the home is still empty, Hartman said Legacy Recovery is already trying to broaden their services.
What they're saying:
"We found there is a gap in their review process for community-based residential facilities and state licensing," Hartman said. Hartman found the owners submitted state permits to operate as a ‘medically monitored treatment facility.’ "Which would allow them to offer psychiatric services – treated as a facility to issue medication in the home, have nursing care in the home," Hartman said.
Why you should care:
Hartman believes if the state permit is granted, the town could not stop it. He points to Legacy's operation in Arizona as a warning. According to the Mesa Tribune, Legacy bought a $1.7 million home in Mesa and is now suing that city after Mesa rescinded approval for what it later deemed was a much larger operation.
No one answered when FOX6 News stopped by Monday. FOX6 News left a message with Legacy's office in Mesa. For this group of concerned neighbors, questions about what will actually take place within these walls still linger.
"We have to speak up. I feel called that we have to speak up. There's a gap in the review process that we have to pay attention to," Hartman said.
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FOX6 News also reached out to the Town of Mukwonago via email and in person and is waiting to hear back from them. Early Monday afternoon, FOX6 News emailed the state with some questions and will update the story if a response is received.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6's Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Toby Hartman, the Concerned Families of Mukwonago website, the Mesa Tribune, Legacy Recovery Center, the Town of Mukwonago and the State of Wisconsin.