By Theo Dirks

On Saturday, Nov. 6, several members of the Gunbarrel Estates Home Owners Association Board and Gunbarrel Estates Park and Recreation District Board met with Tim Cairns of the Association for Community Living (ACL) and Kirk Hendricks to tour the house and property located at 5744 N. 71st Street. Through a generous gift by the Hendricks family, the ACL has acquired the property and is planning to use it as a learning center for the developmentally disabled.

The ACL works with small groups of children and adults with developmental disabilities in sharing information and teaching various subjects. The Association has provided information and advocacy services for nearly 25 years. The founding members worked to make public education available to their children.

Today, in addition to working with school districts and the families of students receiving special education services, the Association researches and gathers information about services and opportunities for adults as well as children with developmental disabilities.

The concept of establishing a learning center seemed a good fit with the property on 71st Street. Through a Special Use Review process, the current agricultural zoning permits a place for higher learning. The learning center will become an important resource for those who have finished their public education and who would like to gain more skills.

Classes will be small, typically up to eight or ten students, and will last roughly two hours. There may be as many as six classes on an average day during the week, with one or two classes every other Saturday.

The large comfortable house on five acres creates a setting that encourages relaxed interaction. The ACL wants to become an integral part of the neighborhood and plans to respect their new neighbors. They look forward to taking the walk and to making new friends along the way.

Due to the generosity of the Hendricks family and the nature of the property, the ACL Learning Center can become a reality for adults with developmental disabilities and their friends and family.

Questions or suggestion for the ACL Learning Center may be addressed to Tim Cairns, Executive Director, at 303-652-3000.