More than 20 citizens showed up March 25 to a Manlius Town Board public hearing regarding a special use permit for the Resort Lifestyle Communities independent senior living center that is being proposed on the corner of North Burdick Street and Medical Center Drive in the town of Manlius.
Josh Thorton, a representative from Resort Lifestyle Communities, presented a powerpoint with information about the proposed Manlius development. The company, based in Nebraska, has about 10 other communities in the country, that are all built with a layout that includes two wings for apartments and a central common area to be used for dining and community activities. The Manlius location would be the same, but the exterior design would be built with a colonial brick and siding, which would fit into the style of the area, said Thorton.
The project will be an 18,000-square-foot, three-floor facility that includes 130 units of one-, two- and three- bedroom apartments. The services and amenities included for residents would be a 24/7 staff, medical alert systems, transportation, concierge service, valet parking, weekly housekeeping, visitor suites, a 150-seat theater, a fitness center, a whirlpool/spa, banking services, a gift shop/pharmacy, a library, a computer shop and a café, according to Thorton.
“We like to describe our facilities as a ‘cruise ship on land living experience for our residents,’” Thorton said.
Lease contracts for residents would be month-to-month and at their other facilities, the occupancy rate is about 92.5 percent, said Thorton.
After the information about the property was presented, a public hearing was opened to the residents who were in attendance. A handful of citizens took the opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns about the project.
Dave Cox, a resident of the neighboring Starview subdivision, voiced concerns about the proposed center which included a blind road curve that goes down Medical Center Drive that could become a dangerous accident zone with the additional traffic that will be going in and out of the facilities.
Matt Napierala, from Napierala Consulting, said the lot, which is proposed to have 160 spaces for residents and employees, will not have a morning peak hour traffic of more than seven movements and an afternoon peak hour of more than nine movements.
Jennifer Ingerson, executive director of The Nottingham, an assisted senior living center in Jamesville, had concerns about the proposed development by Resort Lifestyle Communities, which included whether or not the facility needed to be licensed as an assisted living community due to strict New York State Department of Health regulations. Currently, the Resort Lifestyle Communities are not planning to be licensed as assisted living because there are no planned health services provided by the company.
The public hearing was closed and the Manlius Town Board said they would take resident’s concerns into consideration. They said they would make a decision regarding the special use permit at a later meeting.
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
