Henderson neighborhood bristles at proposed assisted living facility

A proposed assisted living facility is rankling a Henderson neighborhood, with neighbors saying it’s too big while the city argues it’s within the law.

The facility is planned for a 2.5-acre plot at Horizon Ridge Parkway and Mission Drive.

“Change is hard for anybody, and the lot has been empty for a very long time, so it’s going to be jarring for anything to go in there,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Michelle Romero, who represents the area.

The City Council, which approved the zone change earlier this month, is scheduled to take final action on an ordinance Tuesday night that would allow for the project to move forward. However, under the city’s comprehensive plan, assisted living is already an acceptable use on that parcel, the city said.

Neighbors insist they are being reasonable with their concerns about what was initially proposed as a three-story building.

After a well-attended planning commission meeting last month, the developer made some concessions in the design. The third floor of the portion of the building next to existing homes was removed and design elements were added to make the project better fit with the neighborhood. The changes reduced the size of the project by 14 units, Romero said, leaving the proposed facility with 70 units.

Brent Wipperman, who lives nearby, likened the proposed structure to a “ground-based aircraft carrier.”

Jennifer Campbell said she would be happy if the developer worked to have the facility match nearby homes and agreed to eliminate the planned entrance off Calvert Street, which acts as an access road for part of the surrounding neighborhood.

“They’re taking over our whole entrance to our community for their purposes,” neighbor Yvonne Bretz said.

Wipperman said he wants to see the entire facility reduced to two stories with the Calvert entrance eliminated.

The zone-change applicant, Raffi Tufenkjian, hung up on a reporter Monday before questions could be asked.

Romero said she has worked with the developer to hold another meeting with residents on Oct. 30.

The councilwoman said new assisted living centers are a necessity for Henderson.

“We have an aging population. We need to have opportunities for our elderly residents to age in place,” she said.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.