Date: Fri 14-Aug-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Homesteads-elderly

Full Text:

Giant "Homesteads" Project Gets Public Backing, With Reservations

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Although there appears to be general tacit public support for the construction

of The Homesteads at Newtown, a proposed private 298-unit elderly housing

development in Hawleyville, some Pocono Road residents continue to oppose one

aspect of the project -- the developer's proposal to build an emergency

accessway to the site from Pocono Road.

At an August 6 public hearing on The Homesteads at Newtown's application for a

special exception to the zoning regulations, a group of Pocono Road residents

expressed concerns that extending an emergency accessway to that road would

open the door to the future use of that driveway as a common way to enter and

exit the complex from the narrow, deteriorated Pocono Road.

Resident Charles Merrifield of 26 Pocono Road endorsed the construction of the

housing complex, pointing out that it is a relatively low-impact development

compared to other potential uses of the property.

But Mr Merrifield asked why an emergency accessway must be extended to Pocono

Road. He pointed out that there is no state regulation requiring an emergency

accessway to such a complex. He said he doesn't want the narrow Pocono Road to

potentially carry more traffic.

Once such an accessway is constructed, anything could happen in the future, he

told P&Z members.

Resident Dennis Dougherty of 23 Pocono Road asked P&Z members to consider

having the applicant construct an emergency accessway elsewhere.

Kathy Maguire of 11 Pocono Road said she lives directly across from the point

where the accessway would meet Pocono Road. She expressed fears that such an

accessway would be used by heavy equipment during the complex's construction.

What guarantees would Pocono Road residents have that an emergency accessway

would not be used for other purposes in the future, she asked.

"Pocono Road is in poor condition," she said. "My concern is the road cannot

handle any added traffic," she said. She also expressed concerns about the

value of her real estate decreasing.

Resident Andy Gallagher of 24 Pocono Road said the proposed housing complex

would be a good use for the 61-acre site which has road frontage at 166 Mt

Pleasant Road and at 12-16 Pocono Road. But, he added, Pocono Road is a narrow

street for emergency vehicle use. Mr Gallagher urged that a traffic signal be

installed at the main entrance to the complex on Mt Pleasant Road, saying that

driver sightline distances there are too short for elderly drivers. He urged

P&Z members to take time in considering the development proposal.

Attorney Stephen Wippermann, representing M&D, LLC, a firm that owns property

adjacent to the development site, said that the company is willing to consider

helping to provide an emergency accessway to the housing site via the 40 acres

it owns. The land lies between the housing site and Bethel, he said.

M&D, LLC, favors the development project because the project would help cover

the costs of extending sanitary sewers into the area, would provide property

tax benefits for the town, and would not pose financial burdens on the town

stemming from the presence of schoolchildren, Mr Wippermann said.

Resident Lillian Strickler of 6 Tamarack Road said of The Homesteads at

Newtown, "I think it's a fine idea if done appropriately."

Mrs Strickler urged that the complex have its own security system and its own

ambulance to prevent financial burdens on the town.

Mrs Strickler suggested the applicant consider using the Fairfield Hills core

campus for an elderly housing complex. The state is working to sell Fairfield

Hills, a psychiatric institution which closed in December 1995.

Developers Respond

Agents for the The Homesteads at Newtown, LLC, responded to the various

concerns raised by residents.

The development would not generate enough traffic to justify installing a

traffic signal, according to Robert Bass, a traffic engineer. The driver

sightline distances on Mt Pleasant Road exceed state standards, he said. Based

on the rare use that a Pocono Road emergency accessway would receive, it is

unnecessary to improve Pocono Road, he said.

Also, the emergency accessway to Pocono Road would be constructed at the end

of construction, not the beginning.

Attorney Bill Denlinger, representing the applicant, expressed empathy with

people living on Pocono Road regarding traffic concerns.

While the residents have legitimate traffic concerns, the applicant also has a

legitimate emergency access concern, he said. "We do feel we need that

emergency access," he said.

Presentation

Dr Morton Silberstein and his wife, Linda, are the owners of The Homesteads at

Newtown, LLC.

Dr Silberstein, a geriatric psychiatrist, explained his proposal to P&Z

members at the hearing.

"We would very much like to build this facility for the elderly," he said,

noting that people over age 85 are the fastest growing segment of the US

population.

The Homesteads at Newtown would provide independent housing for the elderly in

the form of duplex and fourplex condominiums.

Congregate housing would be similar to life in a luxury hotel in which food

service, house cleaning and laundry service are provided under the terms of a

lease/rental agreement.

Assisted-living facilities would provide help for people who need aid with

activities such as eating and dressing.

A section of the assisted living building with restricted indoor and outdoor

areas would be designed for people with Alzheimer's disease, Dr Silberstein

said.

Architect Michael Stein explained some aspects of the complex's design.

"This is a particularly interesting project," he said, noting the different

building types involved and the wide range of units.

Units would range from 350 to 1,400 square feet in area. The

89,000-square-foot assisted-living building would contain 100 housing units,

including a 16-unit "dementia wing," he said.

Some of the 160 congregate housing units would have carports. The 38

independent living units would have garages.

About 11 acres of the 61-acre site would be disturbed by the construction

project. The complex would be served by sanitary sewers, public water, fire

hydrants and natural gas service. A sewage pumping station would be oversized

to meet the future sewage disposal requirements of the general area. The town

would own the pumping station after it is constructed. Low-intensity street

and sidewalk lighting would be installed on the site.

The first phase of the project, which would provide assisted-living

facilities, would open in 1999.

Dr Silberstein expressed support for a Conservation Commission recommendation

that a trail system be created along the northern edge of the site. Such

trails are used by hikers, horseback riders, and bicyclists.

In May, the developers received a wetlands construction permit for the project

from the Conservation Commission. In March, the P&Z swiftly granted the

developers a zone change for the project, converting the 61-acre parcel from

residentially-zoned land to property designated for elderly housing complexes.

The site is a former gravel mine.

When the proposal appeared before the P&Z and Conservation Commission earlier

this year, the Pocono Road residents objected to extending an emergency

accessway from that street to the proposed complex.

The site lies generally to the north, northwest and northeast of the Newtown

Professional Building and Grace Christian Fellowship, both of which are on Mt

Pleasant Road.

The applicants have an option to buy the site from owners John Sedor, Jr;

Lillian S. Emmons; and the Estate of Lillian Hazel Sedor, Lillian S. Emmons,

executrix.

Milone and MacBroom, a Cheshire firm specializing in engineering, landscape

architecture and environmental science, is representing The Homesteads at

Newtown, LLC.

Since its initial presentation to town land use officials, The Homesteads at

Newtown, LLC, has shaved the total number of housing units that it's proposing

from 300 to 298.