By Anne Trautner
Assistant Editor
An Agape House for boys will not be located on Potter Road in Lafayette.
The Walworth County Zoning Agency voted 4-3 against the home for troubled boys after listening to arguments for and against the proposed home on June 19.
“I certainly support the idea, the concept, everything but location. I think it’s been said here tonight that the location is the biggest drawback of the whole idea,” Supervisor Tim Brellenthin said.
“I think we would all agree it’s a terrifically good program, and I think we all support the program,” Supervisor Paul Yvarra concurred. “That program would offer good services, but at what expense of the residents in the area? I support the program, but I don’t support the location.”
The proposed Agape House would have helped boys, ages 12 to 16, who voluntarily come to the home because they are struggling with various issues in life. The facility would have housed as many as eight boys, with an additional six boys attending school there during the day.
At last week’s public hearing, neighbors said they were worried the Agape House could negatively affect their safety and property values.
“Our intention has never been to upset the community. Actually, I never dreamed it would become such an issue. Our goal is only to help children find the healing they need and to better this community,” said Pam Patterson, executive director of the Agape House for girls.
Jamie Stilling-Stepp, who has volunteered to help developmentally disabled children for years, proposed opening the Agape House at her property at W4818 Potter Road. Stilling-Stepp, who owns Seeds of Hope, wanted to provide a safe, loving and structured environment for boys in need.
The dream was for Agape House, which is a nonprofit, Christian organization, to offer shop classes in the three-car garage. The nearly five-acre piece of property features a pool, sports court and pond.
“[The] house has always been a bit of heaven on earth for me,” Stilling-Stepp said. “I really think there is a need for boys in the community to have a place to have a little bit of heaven on earth.”
There is an Agape House for girls in the village of Walworth, but there is no home for boys in the county.
“I came from a pretty heavily background of abuse, and there were not options of this nature available for myself. So I’m a product of a person who could have very well benefited from [an Agape House],” said Ben Patterson, who founded the Agape House for girls with his wife, Pam Patterson.
However, there are many retirees in the LaFayette neighborhood, and they are nervous about security, said Jeff Luengen, president of the condo association that is to the east of the property.
“We all agree with helping children. We are not against helping children. We just don’t feel that this is the appropriate location for this house,” said Sheila Reiff, president of the Evergreen Association. “We have a quiet community. The most you hear is maybe somebody hooting and hollering because they may have gotten their golf ball in the hole.”
“I would like to know, would this conditional use enhance the community as a residential district? I am not against what they want to do, but this is strictly a residential district, and we would like to keep it that way,” Bill Jacques said at last week’s hearing.
Ron Person said property values in the area have already been affected.
The LaFayette Plan Commission decided on June 4 that the Agape House did not conform with the town’s comprehensive 2035 plan, but the county zoning board could have overrode that conclusion.
“I think they make a difference in people’s lives and I think it’s a good thing for the community. I think it’s a good thing for Walworth County. We need places like this,” said Jim Van Dreser of the county’s zoning agency, who voted in favor of the Agape House for boys.
“I frankly applaud Jamie and Pam for trying to do something with their own personal resources to make a difference. It takes a lot of guts to do that. It takes a lot of determination to do that. I would feel much better if a portion of the community would put their arms around these folks and give them a little support that would make their task, their job, a lot easier. Not the outcry of negativism for fear that something bad is going to happen,” said Dave Weber, the zoning agency’s vice chair.
