Retirement News : Seniors : Plans move ahead for senior facility

Plans move ahead for senior facility

Date Added: 08-04-2005

A Minneapolis-based company is proceeding with plans to construct a senior living campus across the street from Clive City Hall.

SilverCrest Properties LLC wants to build a $60 million senior facility that will include town homes, condominiums, assisted- and independ- ent-living units and a memory care unit. Some of the buildings will be three and four stories. The entire campus will have 450 living units.

In order to proceed with the development, the 25 acres, on the vacant land east of the Clive Aquatic Center and Mercy West Clive that will become the campus, must be rezoned from residential and commercial to a planned unit development. PUD is a zoning class that allows for flexibility with the development by setting a minimum of standards for design and aesthetics.

Residents who live near the proposed facility and SilverCrest representatives have met about four times to discuss the project. Homeowners' main concerns were high-rise buildings that would dominate and impose on their homes, the creation of a buffer between the senior campus and the homes to the east, and the effects of increased traffic to the area.

City Planner Brad Deets said SilverCrest representatives and residents were able to come to resolve most concerns. Most of the trees that separate the property SilverCrest wants to develop and the houses will stay, but some will be removed for the creation of an underground storm sewer. Developers will, however, create a 35- to 50-foot buffer with plantings between most areas of the development and the nearby residences.

Donald Hickman, who lives on Hawthorn Drive in a residential neighborhood east of the campus site, said he isn't too concerned about the facility. Another home separates his property from the project.

Hickman said although he won't be greatly affected, he prefers that the senior living campus not contain multistory buildings.

"Anytime you get above a couple of stories, it looks like an institution or something," he said. "It would take away from the neighborhood."

SilverCrest has a purchase agreement with Catholic Health Initiatives Iowa Corp., part of Mercy Health Center, to buy the land. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

The developer has received the necessary consent from surrounding property owners to proceed with the rezoning. Businesses Iowa-Kadoka, Community Choice Credit Union and Catholic Health Initiatives all gave consent to the rezoning. The city's code requires that developers receive consent from 50 percent of the surrounding property in order to rezone a piece of land.

None of the 47 residents who own homes within a 310-foot area around the site gave their consent to the rezoning or expressed opposition.

"Typically developers will look for those interests that might not be as concerned for the development," Deets said. "I doubt they even sent out consents to the residents . . . because once they had their 50 percent, they didn't need to contact anyone else."

SilverCrest also will pay for a section of Northwest 114th Street to be widened so a right-hand turn lane onto Campus Drive can be added, Deets said. The developer also is negotiating with the city to build a trail system with a bridge over Walnut Creek to connect the development with the Clive Aquatic Center and greenbelt.

A public hearing on the rezoning request will be at 7:15 p.m. April 21 at the City Council meeting in the council chambers at City Hall, 1900 N.W. 114th St.

For More Information: http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050407/NEWS05/504070319/1007