March 15, 2011
The Orange County Register
Board Approves Senior Living Home in North Tustin
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March 15, 2011
Los Angeles Wave
Orange County Supervisors Back Diocese’s Senior Apartment Plan
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County Board of Supervisors Approve The Springs at Bethsaida
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the Springs at Bethsaida, on a 4-1 vote at yesterday’s board hearing. Supervisors largely agreed with the Environmental Impact Report and staff analysis concluding that 153 unit senior living community is compatible with the County General Plan and the North Tustin Specific Plan. According to Most Reverend Bishop Tod Brown, “We are very grateful to the board for their careful analysis and ultimate approval of this project which will be an important component of our diocese’ mission to better serve our senior citizens. We are committed to meeting and exceeding our commitment to build a quality community and to be a good neighbor to the citizens of North Tustin.”
Located on Newport Avenue, north of 17th street, the 7.25 acre lot was donated to the Roman Catholic Diocese in 1958 with the stipulation that it was to be used for the mission of the church. Under the current zoning, Residential Single Family (100-RSF), other uses including churches, schools and congregate care facilities are also allowed in the 100-RSF district, subject to the approval of a use permit. The Diocese sought a zone change because the Springs at Bethsaida varies from a congregate care facility in that it reflects the trend in senior living which includes both independent living and assisted living in a residential community.
The Diocese has contracted with Kisco Senior Living to design, build and operate the project however; the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will maintain ownership and oversight of the Springs at Bethsaida through a non-profit entity. The Diocese has contracted with Kisco, one of the nation’s premier developer and operators of senior living communities, to manage the design, construction and operations of the Springs at Bethsaida. A board of directors appointed by the Bishop will oversee the project and set policy, with ownership retained by the Diocese.
The property will offer 153 total units with 19 bungalows which are separate from the main structure. Most of the residents will enjoy independent living, while a special section will be reserved for assisted living. The craftsman style architecture will include many design features on all sides of the building blend with surrounding homes. Several measures have been taken to eliminate overflow parking on adjacent streets. This includes a subterranean parking structure. In addition, the diocese has agreed to a comprehensive enhanced setback, berms and landscaping plan to create a clear visual separation of the building from Newport avenue, and to screen and buffer adjacent homes from the property. The property is expected to take approximately two years to build.
County Board of Supervisors to Cast Final Vote:
County Board of Supervisors to cast final vote Tuesday, March 15 at 1pm in the County Hall of Administration. Download Press Release >
Letter to the Editor/Orange County Register:
As a Gerontologist in Orange County for almost 32 years, I have always been involved with senior housing projects and issues surrounding senior housing. Attending the recent Planning Commission Hearing on The Springs at Bethsaida, a planned 153 unit senior project, brought back to me several serious problems facing us in Orange County. Our population is aging rapidly and will double in the next twenty years. The first problem that I see is a basic lack of awareness on the part of many elected officials that we have a large aging population in Orange County. The majority of these seniors are still living in their own homes and “aging in place”. But there is a very large group, close to 25 percent, that are not doing well and need more supportive housing and help. These individuals are in denial about the seriousness of their situation until they have a fall or other medical issues that land them in the emergency room. Over 30 percent of seniors who wind up in the emergency rooms return within a week or two because their home environment isn’t conducive for them to stay well. This accounts for the incredible health care costs today and the sad consequences for these seniors and their families.
The reason I offered expert testimony at the Bethsaida hearing is because this project offered me another opportunity to raise the awareness of the need for alternative housing for seniors in Orange County. All too often, decision makers and local residents rely on antiquated assumptions about “old folk’s homes” to block or delay these important neighborhood facilities. All the preconceived notions about density, traffic, noise and other impacts are significantly lower with senior housing. However, fear sometimes motivates neighborhoods to resist including senior living within their housing mix. Bethsaida is a classic example – the project will be the only one serving the seniors in North Tustin. This project is well designed for seniors to “age in place.” And it is important to have it available when the seniors in North Tustin need an alternative housing that offers more support. I might add, I have done “peer reviews” for many cities in Orange County and Los Angeles County for senior projects where there isn’t anyone in the Planning Department with this expertise and I urge cities to recognize this incredible need and embrace and encourage more senior projects like Bethsaida that are both affordable and market rate.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Ditty, D.P.A.
AGE WELL SENIOR SERVICES, INC.
24300 El Toro Rd., Bldg A, #2000
Laguna Woods, CA 92653
Office phone (949)855-8033
Office fax (949)855-8025
Visit our website www.agewellseniorservices.org
My E-mail address has changed to: mditty@myagewell.org
County Board of Supervisors Hearing
Date TBD
January 12, 2011
Orange County Planning Commission Hearing
County Planning Commission Votes 4-1 to Recommend Approval.
In a meeting that lasted from 1:30 in the afternoon until after 9 p.m., the County Planning Commission listened to extensive testimony and more than 50 speakers before voting 4 to 1 to recommend to the County Board of Supervisors approval of The Springs at Bethsaida. The date of the Supervisors hearing on the matter has not been set yet, but we expect it will occur in about a month.
In voting to recommend approval the commissioners included several amendments to further address community concerns and ensure the project will fit comfortably into the neighborhood. Among the additional conditions were a strong deed restriction on the property; limited truck delivery hours; installation of as much peripheral landscaping as possible prior to vertical construction and limiting the one story bungalows to no more than 20 ft. high.
The opponents brought up several issues at the meeting which were soundly refuted by the commission's legal council, Kisco's land use attorney and county planning staff.
We thank everyone for their support, prayers and encouragement. We will let you know when the Board of Supervisors will review and vote on The Springs at Bethsaida.
