March 2014 – Public Hearing Held to Present Plans for Rosegate Retirement Community

On February 27, 2014, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to discuss the preliminary plans presented by Blu Line Design for the proposed development of a senior living center located on the corner of Cedar Hills Drive and 4600 West. Here are a few highlights from the meeting.

The current setback from the proposed facility to the existing residential homes south is 179.3 feet. Current plans are for slightly less than 300 units. The height of the facility is about 38 feet from the bottom to the ceiling of the top floor, 58 feet to the peak of the roof, and 68 feet to the top of the decorative columns. Each unit is between 800-1200 square feet.

The rules around the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) of 1995 were discussed, as that has been a concern. In order to qualify for HOPA the facility must be 80% occupied by residents 55+, the owner must publish intent for this type of housing, and the owner must verify the ages of those who plan to lease units. The 80% excludes unoccupied units, units occupied by employees, and any units lived in by nursing staff. The developer can reserve units for residents 55 and over. Nobody under the age of 19 will be allowed to live in the facility.

There will be several security cameras around the facility. They will be noticeable, and signage will exist, notifying people that security cameras are being used. Landscaping will include many trees around the entire facility to beautify the property.

Blu Line and city staff met with the LPPSD Fire Chief to discuss fire and EMS access and to be sure the building complies with all safety codes. City staff determined the city’s culinary water system has capacity for all proposed units and has sufficient water pressure. Landscaping will be irrigated.

Blu Line indicated that in their experience with building these facilities in other locations the entire facility will fill to capacity in eight months with 55+ individuals. They feel the reason why these facilities are successful in areas like Cedar Hills is because of the younger families nearby. Many of the 55+ residents want to live near their children and grandchildren. In their Salt Lake facility, Blue Line stated there are only six out of 160 units that have residents under 55 living in them.

Blu Line stated that they have a vested interest in getting the commercial area developed as soon as possible, as it will attract people to live in their facility. They are currently working on a site plan for the nine acres owned by the city to be sure the complex accommodates what residents living in that area are looking for.

It was discussed that this corner property for the living center (owned by a family) has not been a piece of land in which commercial businesses have expressed interest, as it is not located on a main street and is not visible from North County Blvd. The city has received multiple calls from parties expressing interest in the purchase of this property, but every call has been from those interested in building apartments on that lot. This area has been zoned exclusively for commercial use for almost 20 years without any serious interest from commercial entities.

After hearing from the residents during the public hearing and having a discussion themselves, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended the preliminary plans move forward to be presented to the City Council. These are not the final plans, and this is not final approval. The final plans will still be reviewed by the Planning Commission at a later date. The preliminary plans will be presented and discussed in an upcoming city council meeting.

As always, resident input is valued and appreciated. Please feel free to reach out to any member of the Council with questions, feedback, or concerns.