Planning commission supports idea of turning empty building into an assisted living center

A proposal to turn a long-time commercial structure into an assisted living center for the elderly will be going to the City Council with a recommendation from the City Planning Commission.

It’s not a popular decision: many residents near the long-vacant building at 801-809 NW Pershing Drive remain firmly opposed to the idea because of the effect they say the use will have on their stable neighborhood.

The commission’s 6-1 vote to recommend R-3 Multiple-Family Dwelling District for the R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District tract is a change from action in July, when commissioners couldn’t agree on a decision after hearing arguments from supporters, the property owner and residents. When the issue arrived on the council floor in late August, council members booted it back to the planning commission after saying recommendations on zoning requests is one of the CPC’s defined duties.

City planner Kameron Good said the structure at the junction of Ash Avenue and Pershing Drive predates zoning codes first imposed in the 1960s, which placed residential zoning on the surrounding homes in the neighborhood between Northwest Ferris Avenue and Liberty Lake. Because it pre-dated zoning code, the structure has been allowed to house commercial uses, including medical offices, although Good said it has been years since the structure had a tenant.

Deborah Bell wants to change that, renovating the structure into an assisted living facility to house up to 20 patients. Bell, who has a background in nursing and elderly care, purchased the property in January with plans to convert it to an assisted living facility.

Rhonda Bell, Bell’s sister, outlined their plans for the building, saying the mission for Tender Hands Loving Hearts is to provide better choices for those who need care.

The center is expected to contain three types of rooms: the majority will house two patients, but there are some private handicapped rooms and studio apartments. The Bells anticipate creating 10-13 rooms in the 3,000-square-foot building, with a total patient load of about 20 people. 

“We have not remodeled the building yet,” Bell said, adding amenities will include kitchens, multipurpose rooms, community patient showers and storage/work space for a staff that will total 16: six certified nursing assistants, three registered nurses, two housekeepers and two kitchen staff, an activities coordinator, an office/medical recorder and a part-time driver.

While no work has been done yet, some amenities already are present. The building has two kitchen areas, four bathrooms and a parking lot large enough for 21 spaces. Todd said her sister, acknowledging security concerns from nearby residents, will install security cameras on each corner of the building and lighting in the parking lot.

Nearby residents remain opposed to the plan and have submitted a petition of protest — including signatures of 12 property owners within 300 feet of the structure — asking city officials to reject the rezoning.

Chris Nelms, who lives across from the tract, said while he agrees with the need for assisted living facilities, “there is a better place.” Nelms said he purchased his house more than 20 years ago specifically because of the neighborhood, where, even today, more than 80 percent of the homes belong to the people living in them.

“There are 24 homes that property directly affects,” he said of plans he and others say will bring more people into the neighborhood, adding if he wanted to sell his home, that nearby commercial use would be “a negative factor.”

Delman Bloom, a real estate broker who lives near the facility, said commercial use will cause problems, including congestion from visitors parking in the street because the parking lot doesn’t appear to be big enough for both staff and visitors. Bloom said required lighting for the parking lot also will impact nearby neighbors.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said.

Deborah Bell said congestion won’t be a problem. The staff she hires is for round-the-clock operations, meaning they won’t all be on site at the same time. And, she doesn’t anticipate every resident having visitors at the same time, with visiting hours spread between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.