BEAVERCREEK — Harbor Retirement Associates recently receive approval to move forward on its plan to construct a 110 unit assisted living/memory care facility east of the intersection of Sylvania and Indian Ripple roads.
The city approved the plan with 19 conditions.
“We are focused on what seniors want to live and what they want in their lives, which will be different than a lot of older facilities,” Harbor Retirement Associates representative Charlie Jennings said. “Seniors are now in more tune with the need of good nutrition and exercise, so we will have those amenities available.”
Jennings stated that retirement communities are the answer to the changing society.
“Reality is, we’re aging as a country,” he said. “There’s nine competing assisted living communities in Beavercreek right now and the occupancy is over 90 percent. In other communities, occupancy averages 100 percent. What does that say? It says that we have seniors that are aging and we’ll have more tomorrow than today and they need somewhere to go.”
Harbor Chase will sit on a 125,300 square foot piece of property on seven acres. The property was originally owned by the Vineyard Church, but was recently sold. Part of the access to the property will be the Vineyard Church. The new assisted living facility will feature 110, one bedroom units and will have a contemporary farmhouse look. The building that’s currently on the property will be removed.
Harbor Chase requested an Administrative Site Plan Review and Approval (ASRA). This type of site plan allows the city more control of the development so the city can ensure the look and feel of the facility is more to what the City would like to see in the community.
Some residents were not happy about the new development. During the public hearing, Teresa Sturgill, an Indian Ripple Road resident, posed concerns regarding the wetlands that crosses through the property in question. She had been making calls to the EPA to inquire on the regulations.
She was ensured by the city staff and the builders that the wetlands would remain unscathed by the construction and development. Sturgill also voiced concerns about the safety of future residents of the assisted living facility.
Safety measures will be in place for such an event.
Betsy Krug, a Beavercreek resident living on Chalfonte Drive worried about the facility interfering with her privacy since the backside of her home is all glass. “Right now, I have a great view of woods. Is that going to be destroyed?” she asked.
Although the builder assured her there was going to be a buffer and trees between her property and the facility, council woman Debborah Wallace reminded citizens that the City cannot control who purchases property for developments.
“If there’s a view that you want to keep, then buy the land where it is. Because we can’t stop someone from purchasing land. We can’t stop someone from developing it,” Wallace said.
The Harbor Chase project was approved with 19 conditions including requirements regarding landscaping, property maintenance, lighting, trash collection, gutters and downspouts, service doors, signage, drainage and more.
Exterior construction hours have been set to include Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
