Retirement News : Seniors : Zoning approved for assisted-living facility

Zoning approved for assisted-living facility

Date Added: 01-04-2005

BLISSFIELD -- Area senior citizens requiring assisted living are one step closer to having a place to call home.

The Blissfield Village Council approved zoning and special land-use requests Monday that make way for Drews Place Properties LLC to build a 20-bed senior assisted-living facility on North Quick Street, near the village's northern limit.

Council members unanimously voted to follow a Blissfield Planning Commission recommendation earlier this month to change the proposed property's zoning from single-family to multiple-family residential.

 
The facility, set to be named Blissfield Place, will be the first of its kind in the village, said James Wonacott, village administrator.

"We've been trying to crack the senior living facility nut for years," he said. "It's been an identified need in our master plan for at least as long as I've been here."

When re-evaluating the village's master plan, he said, senior housing was listed as one of the top two priorities residents listed in a November survey.

In the past, Blissfield seniors seeking to move into assisted-living facilities had to look to Adrian, Tecumseh and other areas to meet their needs, said Tom MacNaughton, director for the Lenawee County Department on Aging.

"Housing for the elderly is needed, and Blissfield residents have had to leave their community to find assisted living," he said.

Because Drews Place officials have extensive experience operating senior living centers, he said he's confident the Blissfield facility will provide its residents with the best of care.

"I'm really glad that this is happening," he said.

Jim Ingle, general manager for Tecumseh Place, one of seven units Drews Place Properties owns in the Hillsdale, Coldwater and Tecumseh areas, said his organization plans to build a 20-bed facility initially, with intentions to expand should the need arise. He said there is enough demand for senior housing in Blissfield to warrant construction here.

"I think we can fill the needs of Blissfield really well with a 20-bed facility," he said.

According to Ingle, all Drews Place facilities are family owned and operated.

"We operate small and we try to keep it small and within the community so that people who are getting into their older years don't have to leave their area to find assisted living," he said.

Jae Guetschow, village president, said he's pleased area seniors will have another option to meet their living needs. He said there is demand for such a facility because Blissfield's 55-and-over population is about 35 percent.

"This gives another option as people start seeing their health declining a little bit," he said.

"I just think it's a positive thing all the way around," he added.

Although the zoning and special land-use requests have been approved, Wonacott said Drews Place needs to submit a building permit application and zoning site plan before construction can occur. He said he expects both in the coming weeks.

Ingle affirmed Wonacott's estimate by saying he hopes to break ground within the next couple of months. It will take about nine months to complete the facility after construction begins, he said.

"I would hope to see it completed by Christmas," he said.

For More Information: http://www.lenconnect.com/articles/2005/03/31/news/news05.txt