After discussion at a July 20 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, P&Z members endorsed the construction of Church Hill Village, a 72-bed assisted living complex proposed for a vacant sloping 3.97-acre site at 37 Church Hill Road in the borough, at the eastern corner of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard (see Google Map, above).

Because the P&Z serves as the borough's planning agency, the Borough Zoning Commission (BZC) had referred the Church Hill Village proposal to the P&Z for a recommendation on the planning aspects of the project. The P&Z did not take a formal vote on the proposal, but came to a voice consensus on endorsing the project.

The Church Hill Village proposal has received a wetlands/watercourses protection approval from the local Land Use Agency staff.

The BZC has scheduled a public hearing on the Church Hill Village proposal for Wednesday, August 9, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. A regular BZC meeting is slated to start at 6:30 pm, with the Church Hill Village public hearing scheduled to begin at 7:15 pm.

The applicant, Teton Capital Company, LLC, of Old Greenwich, needs three approvals for the project from the BZC - a special zoning permit, a site development plan approval, and a Village District zoning certificate.

In April, the BZC created zoning regulations to allow "assisted living" complexes as a permitted land use in the borough. Until then, the BZC's development rules had not addressed that subject. The P&Z has had assisted living regulations for many years. In the past, the P&Z approved two such complexes - Masonicare's Lockwood Lodge at 139 Toddy Hill Road and Maplewood at Newtown at 166 Mt Pleasant Road.

At the July 20 P&Z session, William Donohue, managing partner of Teton Capital, told P&Z members that the Church Hill Village proposal is consistent with the tenets of the 2014 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, in terms of providing suitable housing and economic development, while keeping in character with the town.

The project would provide housing for the "frail elderly," generally for people over age 75, Mr Donohue said.

The local elderly population has been increasing rapidly, he said, adding, "There's a shortage of options for senior citizens."

Mr Donohue said the presence of Church Hill Village would benefit the local property tax base in a "low impact" way in terms of public services. Also, the complex would create 50 new full-time staff jobs, he said. The maximum number of workers on a shift would be 24 people.

The Church Hill Road commercial corridor's appearance would be enhanced by Church Hill Village, Mr Donohue said. Noting that the vacant wooded site where the project would be built formerly was farmland, the multibuilding complex would incorporate "an agricultural theme" in the elements of its architecture, he said.

"It's a unique design for assisted living" which would have a "residential" appearance, he said.

George Benson, town planning director, said that in the past a developer had proposed building a medical office complex at the site now proposed for Church Hill Village.

Such a medical office complex would have generated much more traffic than an assisted living complex, noted P&Z member Donald Mitchell.

According to the Church Hill Village plans, the complex would contain eight "neighborhoods," each of which would house elderly residents requiring personal care from staff members. Two of those neighborhoods would have specialized care for residents with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The complex would have buildings that enclose 66,960 square feet of space. Most buildings would be one-story tall. The site would hold 40 vehicle parking spaces. The property would have separate entry-exit driveways on The Boulevard and on Church Hill Road. The Boulevard driveway would be located about 150 feet north of The Boulevard's intersection Church Hill Road; the Church Hill Road driveway would be situated about 410 feet east of the intersection of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard.

If approved, the project would be completed and fully occupied with assisted-living residents by the end of 2019, according to the developer.

As defined by the borough zoning regulations, "assisted living" refers to an elderly housing complex in which a variety of basic services are provided, such as nursing care and assistance with the activities of daily living.