Seniors’ community concept on hold pending further information
Administrator | Nov 28, 2012 | Comments 3
Prince Edward County Council has decided to defer its “Age in Place” development plans on municipally owned land at the front of the H.J. McFarland nursing home property until more input from the community and developers is received.
The decision was made following delegations by H.J. McFarland Home residents and others at last night at council’s meeting.
Council had reviewed a Community Development Report recommending the approximate three acres at the front of the nursing home on Highway 49 be declared surplus to initiate implementation of the overall development of the Age in Place Concept.
Residents who spoke to council last night were concerned about losing their front lawn, and the prospect of having dumpsters and concrete as their view.
The County’s concept of Age in Place envisions a seniors’ community that will encourage active living and integration into the community, but also facilitate residents’ transition into increasing levels of assisted living if additional support becomes necessary as an individual ages.
The Age in Place Concept is intended only to illustrate that a wide range of potential age in place uses can be accommodated on the McFarland Home lands. The concept is not intended to predetermine the actual number, size, location, or configuration of the potential uses on the property.
The Nautical Lands Group, a company that has successfully built and filled retirement community residences in various communities in Ontario, had submitted an offer to purchase a parcel of land parcel of land at the front of the H.J. McFarland Home property for seniors housing and a potential medical clinic to commence an initial stage of the overall Age In Place concept.
At its Oct. 17 closed session, council considered the offer to
purchase and directed staff to sign back the offer and initiate the sale of
surplus land process. Implementation of the Age In Place concept requires the sale and/or leasing of municipally owned lands at the McFarland Home property. Under the Municipal Sale of Land Bylaw, a prerequisite for this is that Council declares the land to be surplus.
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Filed Under: Local News
I don’t understand all this Age in Place Concept. It does not make any sense to me. We have all the facilities we need. This is a small community which does not lend itself to a lot of elaborate construction like the arena in WEllington. Does anyone not realize we are deeply in debt!!!
Wake up council and do not come up with anymore off the wall ideas like putting some sort of condo in the front yard of the McFarland Home– let that developer find somewhere else to build his place. The land at the McFarland Home belongs to the County–all of us in the County not the CAO and council. We the residents of the County want to keep the front lawn with all its great trees.
The above plans of the Age In Place Concept were the original plans that have been circulating since October but what needs to be understood is that the plan now is to have the Age In Place Complex placed in the front yard of the HJ McFarland Home instead of the back property in behind the home as the above plan shows!!! Having the complex built in the front yard would then allow the residents of the nursing home to view out their windows the backs of buildings(not known how many stories high), parking lots,and dumpsters and lets not forget the exhaust and emmissions from the different vehicles such as autos, and delivery trucks that the residents would then be enveloped in!! The residents and family members feel that the home and its residents would be pushed to the back of the property and forgotten and be made to feel like prisoners in their own home!! We need to support the residents of this home present and future!!! How would you like it if all of a sudden something like this was built in your front yard without any regard to you and your rights!! I am the Chair of the HJ McFarland Home Family Council & I will NOT stand by and watch anymore be taken from the residents than has already been taken from them by having to move into a Long Term Care Facility!!
WE are not in a finanical position to consider any large construction projects. What we have now is adequate for our purposes