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QUESTION: A few months ago a very detailed release was published announcing a new retirement facility to be built on Cline Avenue on the old Appleseed Junior High School property. Diagrams, site plans, etc. What’s happened?
MANSFIELD — A proposed $24-$25 million assisted living apartment for senior citizens at 300 Cline Ave. is still moving ahead, according to Adrian Ackerman, the City of Mansfield’s director of permitting and development.
“I did have some communication from Silver Birch that their market study came back (and) they’ll do 116 units instead of 120 … negligible as far as everything else goes. It’s less, it’s not more, so it still falls within the (previous city planning commission) approvals,” Ackerman said.
“At the end of last week, they requested to have the (fire) hydrants flow tested and that was completed. There was no negative feedback on that,” she said.
Darrin Jolas, the managing director for Chicago-based Vermilion Development met with planning commission members in November to announce the company’s Silver Birch brand planned to build a three-story complex with 120 studio apartments on the site that was once home to Appleseed Middle School.
The company has 10 local similar locations, including nine in Indiana and one in Illinois. Jolas said it would be the company’s first project in Ohio.
Ackerman said the company is continuing to work through the process.
“I think they’re just trying to make sure they’ve got their plans all situated and where they’re doing their connections and everything. But moving along. I haven’t heard anything other than that.
“I would anticipate once they get all the infrastructure details worked out that we should see (building) plans,” Ackerman said, adding she believes the company’s timeline is to begin construction in 2024.
“The site plan is what we worked off of for planning commission zoning approval for the three stories. They’ll still have to submit full building plans, which will require a full review for the Ohio Building Code.
(Below is a virtual tour of a Silver Burch assisted living apartment complex in Evansville, Ind.)
“That’ll just make sure that what they’re going to construct is going be safe. It’s going to have all the appropriate fire suppression and all of that stuff. We have 30 days to review it once they submit it. As soon as they have a final approval, they can get started (building),” Ackerman said.
She said the building plan, once submitted, would likely be reviewed by an outside consultant due to the fire suppression systems required, “just to make sure it’s exactly what it needs to be.”
In 2021, the site was proposed for a Dollar General store, an effort that died when the city, including the planning commission, rejected efforts to have a section of the 10-acre lot rezoned as B2, or general business.
The planning commission in November gave the housing proposal a green-light despite the fact it would not have enough parking spaces to meet city requirements.
Jolas told members most residents in these apartments do not have vehicles.
“We provide parking for our staff and visitors and potential residents that come and visit the community, but we don’t need a lot of parking. We’ve operated generally for a community of around 120 units generally in that 65- to 70-parking space range. That’s a very comfortable size for us,” he said.
A Richland Countywide housing study done recently found a growing need for senior housing. The study found that 20 percent of the county’s population are currently seniors, and another 14 percent are near seniors (age 55–64).
“In the next 10 years, the county will need to expand the number of senior-friendly units available so that these residents can age in place, such as condos or senior-only communities,” the study found.
Jolas told the planning commission the new complex could be a part of that mix.
“Assisted living is a very service-oriented form of housing. The majority of our residents, nearly all of our residents, move into assisted living at a point in their life when they generally need assistance with one of the daily activities of living,” he said.
“So food, medical management, assistance with dressing things of that nature. Our communities offer housekeeping, as well as laundry services. All meals are provided to the residents. There is 24-hour nursing care and they are free to come and go as they wish. So it’s a very independent form of living,” Jolas said.
He said the average age of residents in Silver Birch residents are in their mid to late 70s.
“Most of these folks have made a conscious decision to no longer try and take care of themselves where they don’t have others to take care of them. And so it’s a housing alternative for them,” Jolas said.
