Developer Pitches Assisted Living Project to Mt. Pleasant Officials
A developer of senior housing projects appeared before the Mount Pleasant Town Board last week to float the idea for a 85- to 90-unit assisted living project on Zeiss Drive in Thornwood.
The three-story Shelbourne at Mount Pleasant would be a combination of assisted living and memory care with monthly expenses between $5,000 and $9,000 a month. Residents living in the memory care section would be located on the first floor.
Last Tuesday, Shelbourne Healthcare Development Group of Philadelphia, which has built and opened 10 senior housing projects throughout the United States since 2012, would build this facility. Shelbourne representatives told town officials they have targeted Westchester because there is unmet demand for these types of services for seniors in the area.
James Kane III, a Shelbourne Healthcare partner, said the facility would be able to accommodate up to 100 seniors. Each unit would be between 400 and 750 square feet, he said.
Councilwoman Laurie Smalley said she preferred an independent living facility for seniors who want to stay in town. However, Mark Hallowell, president of Hallowell Construction Co., which would build the project, said an independent living facility would be a much larger project than assisted living.
James Glatthaar, an attorney representing the developer, noted that his client would need a zoning change from the town board because the 10.45-acre property is located in an Office Business (OB) zone, which does not permit senior housing facilities. The project would neither generate additional schoolchildren nor significantly increase the need for town services, he said.
The town board agreed to speak with town planning consultant Pat Cleary to discuss the nature of any potential zoning change. An environmental review would be conducted by the planning board.
Any zoning change made by the town board would apply to all properties in OB zones, otherwise, it could be considered illegal spot zoning, said Councilman Mark Rubeo.
The Shelbourne Health Care Development Group has opened a variety of senior housing projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Texas and Tennessee. The company has projects scheduled to break ground in Scarsdale and Waldwick, N.J.
