Two new seniors’ living complexes were pitched to the public last week, although one is farther along in the process with the District of Sechelt.
Developer Doug Spani held a public information meeting on Sept. 17 at the Seaside Centre to introduce his proposed four-part facility called Ocean Stories that would allow seniors to age in place.
Spani has submitted an application to the District of Sechelt and is going forward with rezoning and OCP amendment applications for the 217-unit development on his six-acre property between the Rockwood Centre and Shorncliffe.
The plan calls for a 60-unit independent living condominium complemented by three adjacent buildings offering varying levels of independent and supported living.
The proposal also includes a library, theatre, pickleball courts, exercise room, hobby room, coffee shop, shared gardens, walking trails and sitting areas.
“What we’re trying to build is an age-in-place community, so you can move into a community and buy a unit and when you get older you could sell that and move into the other facility or building that would be a rental, and it would have all of the amenities,” Spani said at the meeting.
“So it’s more of an amenity-driven development for a lifestyle that I feel people can’t get in other developments up here.”
A large crowd came to see Spani’s plan during the Sept. 17 open house where the developer welcomed feedback.
“I’ve had really no negative input from anybody yet, but I’m open to comments,” Spani said.
A second seniors’ home idea was pitched at the Seaside Centre on Sept. 16 by Pat De Luca, owner and operator of The Wesbrooke in Pitt Meadows, a seniors living facility. De Luca presented a style of housing for seniors on the Coast that’s similar to the Pitt Meadows model in a development he calls Wesbrooke by the Sea, which would be situated at the top of Trail Bay Estates.
The facility would have about 110 units of full-service apartments offering independent living and assisted living. No diagrams of buildings were shown to the public, as Wesbrooke by the Sea is still in the preliminary stages.
The group has just recently submitted a proposal to the District of Sechelt.
De Luca said he wanted to have the meeting on Sept. 16 in order “to get an interest level, to find out what the residents of Sechelt, what the community response would be.”
About 90 people came out to the Wednesday night meeting to learn about the project, which De Luca said was encouraging.
“The attendance was great and what came out of that meeting was that there are a good number of seniors who have been waiting for this type of housing or this type of residence for quite a while. They’re very passionate about where they live in Sechelt and on the Sunshine Coast, and many of them don’t want to move away,” De Luca said.
He said his goal is to begin construction on Wesbrooke by the Sea in early 2016 and have the building completed in about a year.
Neither Wesbrooke by the Sea nor Ocean Stories has been selected to fulfill the request for proposals (RFP) sent out by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) at this time.
The RFP, sent out in February by VCH, called for proponents who could provide between 15 and 25 new residential care beds, with the ability to expand to 125 beds in the future.
Currently VCH is still in the “looking at solutions phase,” according to media relations officer Anna Marie D’Angelo.
De Luca noted his plan will go forward “regardless what happens with the VCH request for proposals” and Spani said that although his project is not affiliated with VCH, care would be provided onsite through a private care services partner.
