A 121-bed assisted living facility could be built on the former Guida's Dairy site if the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission approves it.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 in Town Hall.
The Continuum Company wants to build a 121-bed assisted living facility at 2415 Reservoir Ave. on 4.43 acres. The board had previously discussed a concept proposed by the same petitioner.
Attorney John Fallon said the proposal is a "culmination of a year of work and effort."
He also proposed new zoning regulations for assisted living facilities and a zone change.
According to Fallon, people 85 and older are the fastest growing demograhic in the region. "Assisted living is a very desirable option," he said.
The facility provides the maximum amount of freedom and the "best assistance needs and round-the-clock care."
It would be a "state-of-the-art assisted living facility," Fallon added.
"This inventory [of assisted living] is woefully insufficient in Trumbull," according to the attorney.
Meredith Brake, Continuum chief operating officer, said the proposed facility will be a "benchmark" that will help residents "maintain a vibrant lifestyle."
The building would rise three stories, and the first floor would have a vestibule and spaces for gatherings and for quiet. Sixty percent of it would have assisted living apartments, containing kitchenettes.
Three meals a day would be served in the dining room, and there would be a room for cards and a kitchen and a sunroom. There would also be a section for people with memory problems.
A wellness center would be on the third floor in addition to a fitness room and an outdoor deck.
Outside, the building will look residential and use green construction materials. There would be a walking path around the building.
Fallon said the Continuum has an "unsurpassed track record." It could bring $300,000 in taxes to the town and regenerate a dormant property.
"I'm very proud to have a been a small part of it," he said.
Reactions
Planning and Development Director Jamie Bratt said, "I'm happy to be seeing this presentation." She recommended small modifications, and praised the use of green building materials. Traditional-looking chimneys would hide modern-day functions.
In response to a question, Brake said religious services would be offered to residents.
But the proposal met some resistance.
Ron Bucci of Bunker Hill Drive, Trumbull, disputed Fallon's statistics, adding Trumbull already has numerous assisted living facilities with a total vacancy rate of more than 15 percent. Two facilities operate on Reservoir Avenue.
More seniors want to stay home and use in-home services, he added.
He also wondered if the property would become blighted if it shut down.
Trumbull resident Tony D'Aquila said the site should be used for industry rather than the jobs that an assisted living facility would offer. "You have unskilled people cleaning bedpans," he said.
He also criticized the design's parking and entrance/exit setup.
The commission should be helping create jobs, and jobs will be returning from China. The commission needs to put industry there to accomodate its return, the resident said.
Taxes from the facility would be "pocketchange."
Fallon replied that, "Our caregivers are skilled, they're licensed." They also could be in higher paying jobs but choose to help, he added.
The proposal also revives a site that has resisted "aggressive efforts to market it over a decade," he said.
Commission member Fred Garrity Jr. replied to D'Aquila that the commission's mission is to serve the town, businesses and residents. Bringing in jobs and increasing the tax base fulfills the mission, he said.
Trumbull EMS officials have said another facility would stress their services because many calls are medical in nature and involve seniors.
