GALION — Galion City Council heard an update about a proposed $10 million, 42-unit senior independent living facility on the city’s south end.
Pete Schwiegeraht, senior vice president of development-Midwest Region for MVAH Partners based in West Chester, Ohio, addressed city council during a public hearing conducted during the regular council meeting on Tuesday. The public hearing was in regard to the proposed rezoning of Outlot 714 (corner of Hosford Road and Portland Way South) from general commercial to residential multi-family.
That’s the location where MVAH Partners plans to build a three-story senior independent living complex, Schwiegeraht said. MVAH Partners submitted the rezoning application to the city’s planning commission.
“We will be proposing to build 42 senior independent living units,” Schwiegeraht said. “That will include one- and two-bedroom units, all within one building located on the site in question. With that, we will have on-site management at the facility. There will be a community room, a community center, a theater, a fitness center, a business center, all in the facility, accessible to residents 24/7. The building, the facility as a whole, is built 100% accessible, so even though it’s a three-story building, there’ll be an elevator. It is also built to green building standards, so it’ll be very high energy efficient.
“Our goal really is to house your seniors as they age and allow them to age in place in your community by having a new, high quality housing option,” he added.
Each unit is equipped with a full kitchen, laundry facilities, walk-in closets, and oversized bathrooms. He said the one-bedroom units measure about 700 square feet and the two-bedroom units measure about 900 square feet.
Schwiegeraht said the estimated monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit will be between $650 and $700 and the rent for a two-bedroom unit will be between $750 and $800. The company is currently conducting a market study to “pin down” what the actual rates will be, he said.
The complex will include a picnic shelter with grills and picnic tables and a community garden. The parking lot will have between 55 and 60 spaces.
Schwiegeraht said the facility will be age-restricted to only allow residents age 55 and older.
“These types of facilities we typically average much more like 78 to 80 year old average age,” he noted.
Since it is a senior independent living facility, Schwiegeraht said it differs from assisted living or nursing care facilities because no healthcare is provided on site.
The facility will have three full-time employees: an on-site manager, a service tech to handle facility maintenance, and a service coordinator who Schwiegeraht said will help residents link up with local service providers and agencies should they need them.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Council member Mike Richart, 3rd Ward, said. “We’re always in need to have something like that in the community. It’s nice that you folks want to put that in our community.”
Schwiegeraht said representatives of MVAH Partners have had what he termed as “great dialogue with some of the adjacent neighbors during the planning commission meeting.” He said company officials have taken concerns of local residents into consideration and have incorporated some of them into the planning for the facility.
“As part of those conversations we did make some commitments that we would adhere to a larger setback (from the road) than what is required by the (City of Galion zoning regulations),” he said. “So we’re intending to hold a 50-foot setback from Hosford. We are still willing to discuss how we do this layout to be sensitive to the neighbors. We think it’s great addition to the community. We hope you feel the same way.
“We’re really excited about hopefully becoming long-term owners and members of the community. Hopefully in the future, we hope to bring more housing options to the community.”
According to the MVAH Partners website, the company operates 45 senior independent living facilities in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. The Reserve at Lakeview Landing in Huron and Riverside Landing at Delaware Place in Delaware are similar to the proposed Galion facility, Schwiegeraht said. In total, the company owns and operates about 130 properties, he added.
Schwiegeraht said MVAH Partners uses Ohio-based general contractors who then bid out construction work locally in the area where their facilities are located.
For information about MVAH Partners and its properties, go to the company website www.mvahpartners.com.
