Good reviews for Perkins successor
New facility at old hotel open since June
By Tim Gannon
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That seems to be the feedback from local business owners and officials to Concern for Independent Living's new facility in the former Henry Perkins Home for Adults site on West Main Street.
The Perkins Home, which closed in 2005 after more than 20 years housing people with mental disabilities, had drawn a number of complaints from local businesses, including that the residents often begged or wandered the streets while under the influence of their medications.
Concern for Independent Living purchased the 79-year-old former hotel in 2005 and renovated and reopened it in June with 50 apartment units and 50 residents, according to Ralph Fasano, CIL's executive director. The Perkins Home once had as many as 120 residents in 76 rooms, and on several occasions the State Office of Mental Health had cited it for violations.
"It was sad to see how many people were crammed into this place," Mr. Fasano said, recalling his first visit to the Perkins Home several years ago. "There were 120 people here, they didn't have their own rooms, the place smelled awful, and it was clear that people were not getting the services they needed and the respect and dignity that they should have had. On the other hand, it was a magnificent building."
Like the Perkins Home, the CIL facility is intended for people with psychiatric disabilities, but so far it has not drawn the type of complaints its predecessor did. It even opened without many neighbors noticing.
"I can remember 10 years ago, people from the Perkins Home used to walk in the front door of the restaurant and take food right off of people's plates," said Stephen Wirth, owner of Digger O'Dell's restaurant on West Main Street.
As for CIL, he said, "I haven't noticed anything yet."
In fact, Mr. Wirth said, he wasn't even aware the facility had been open since June.
Bill London, president of the downtown Business Improvement District, also said he hasn't heard any complaints about the CIL facility or its residents. "Anything is better than the old Perkins Home," he said. Jodi Bennett-Giglio, president of Riverhead Business Alliance, also said she's heard no complaints about the facility. She said that the company did a nice job on the faÃßade of the building, which she noted is one of the first buildings people see as they come into Riverhead from the west.
Despite being open for some months, last Thursday CIL held a ceremonial opening attended by a number of local, county and state officials.
"So far, so good," Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said when asked if his department has had complaints about CIL.
"Opening it up to let people see what's going on in here, and having transparency when you're dealing with a facility like this, is the most important thing," Assemblyman Marc Alessi (D-Shoreham) said.
Several years ago, Riverhead Town officials were upset to learn that the state had provided CIL with about $10 million in grants to reopen the Perkins Home as a residence for those with psychiatric disabilities. Town officials had hoped to see the building turned into a hotel, as had been recommended in the town's master plan update.
"Frankly, I was not aware [the facility was] fully occupied until today," Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale said last Thursday when asked if he had received any feedback about the facility.
The building was originally opened in 1929 as a hotel, when it featured a Prohibition bar that still exists, Mr. Fasano said. If police arrived on the scene, the bar could be folded back into a bureau to hide the liquor.
Mr. Fasano has kept a sign from the old hotel that touted such selling points as "reasonable rates" and its being "fireproof."
Current facility residents had been living in other adult homes, homeless shelters and institutions, Mr. Fasano said. Now each has his or her own apartment, with a bathroom and high-speed Internet connection.
The facility also has a computer room, library, fitness center and courtyard at the rear of the building.
tgannon@timesreview.com
