Glenwood Village plan sees minor revisions
Several years after being halted by a down economy, a developer with plans to build a 148-unit senior housing project in Glenmont is back before the town.
Like many other large housing projects, the building of Glenwood Village was put on hold after time in the planning process due to a bad economy that’s put a stranglehold on the housing market.
We were not able to meet the requirement of starting construction on this project within two years of the zoning approval, said Tim Haskins of United Development Corp.
Since first coming before the town in 2008, the market has improved and the developer has made changes to the plan to hopefully make the project even more attractive. Although similar to the previous plan, the project has been shrunk somewhat, shedding a few living units and square feet. The alterations and the time passed mean the developer will have to head back to the Zoning Board for previously granted variances.
The facility would be an even split between single and two-bedroom units. There would be limited lobby or congregation space in the apartment buildings ` social functions would be fulfilled by an on-site clubhouse with a meeting space, game room, media room, lap pool and even a salon for periodic visits from hairstylists and barbers. The plans also call for a small garden and walking paths outside.
The location of the facility remains unchanged. United Development wants to build on a 14.7-acre plot off of Glenmont Road, behind St. Matthew’s Cemetery. A long drive would circumvent the cemetery and lead back to the buildings. A separate pedestrian walkway would also connect with Glenmont, and the developer hopes a CDTA bus shelter will be placed there.
The project would also be located near the many services and businesses in Glenmont’s commercial center.
Haskins said many of Glenwood’s elements have been lifted from United Development’s more successful senior living projects, including Hearthstone Village in Colonie.
`This project has been going a long time, but it’s gotten better and more reasonable every time we’ve gone through it,` he said.
The project is being funded under the Department of Housing and Urban Development senior housing program, so there would be a minimum age of 62 for residents. The average age for residents in similar United Development projects is between 78 and 82.
Residents can stay in the facility as long as they are lucid and independent. There will be no on-site services, but staff will be able to connect residents with the local services they might need.
The facility is designed with `active seniors` in mind, Haskins continued.
`They’re really active people, and they really take ownership of their communities,` he said.“