Lawton City Council rejects idea of assisted living center in city neighborhood

A proposal to turn a vacant commercial structure into an assisted living center for senior citizens won’t be moving forward, City Council members decided last week.

The council unanimously rejected a proposal for R-3 Multiple-Family Dwelling District zoning on a structure at 801-809 NW Pershing Drive. The facility now holds R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District zoning, the same zoning on the residential neighborhood that surrounds it. The facility is a legal non-conforming structure, meaning it has been allowed to function as a commercial building (mostly, medical offices) for decades because it predates zoning codes that were applied by the City of Lawton in the mid-1960s.

City Planner Christine James said the applicants would be formally notified of the council’s actions and told they would have to wait six months if they wanted to submit another application for rezoning, although they also can take the issue to court. The owners have said they purchased the long-vacant building specifically for use as an assisted living center for senior citizens, working within the dictates of state health codes to convert the facility for that use.

But, many residents in the surrounding neighborhood oppose the idea because of what they say is the potential effect on traffic, increases in crime and vagrants, decreases in property values, and concerns about what could be done with an R-3 tract if the assisted living center doesn’t materialize.

City planner Kameron Good said the R-3 zoning request came with a binding site plan, meaning specific plans for the site have to be submitted as part of the application and any significant changes in that plan must be approved by the city.

Rhonda Bell said the mission of Tender Hands Loving Hearts is providing better choices for senior citizens who need care. She said her sister Deborah Bell, who is spearheading the project, already has begun the application process for state licensing and is working on plans for operations of a site that is expected to care for up to 20 patients by a staff of 16.

However, residents said they have multiple concerns.

Delman Bloom, who has addressed the issue at several City Planning Commission meetings, said his concerns include the fact the parking lot is not large enough for the activities that will go on there.

“It’s a great idea, I think. But, not in our neighborhood,” he said, adding he also fears the effect the facility will have on residential property values, as well as the effect of increased traffic — to include delivery trucks — on the narrow residential streets.

Cecil Cummings Jr., lives directly across the street. He said his driveway lines up with the building’s parking lot drive and he fears the conflict that could present, as well as the constant flashing of headlights from departing vehicles reflecting on his windows, including emergency vehicles.

“Our neighborhood is not equipped to do this,” he said.

David Locke agreed, saying there is “no way” the neighborhood is set up for the operation of the facility, adding he and his neighbors don’t want a business that operates around the clock “40-feet off our front door.”

Council members indicated they were concerned about the fact the facility is not yet licensed. Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, who has a construction background, said that license will specify how many patients the facility may hold.

Rhonda Bell said the facility would house patients in one of three types of rooms: two-patient rooms (the largest number), private handicapped rooms and studio apartments. She said the facility would hold 10-13 patient rooms, with amenities such as kitchens, communal showers and common space, as well as office and work space for the staff. That staff would include 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.