Needham board hears plans for senior living facilities at old Carter building

Jul. 1--Norwood-based LCB Senior Living will seek Town Meeting approval for its plans to develop and operate 72 independent living units, 96 beds as part of an assisted living facility, and 28 Memory Care apartments at 100 West St. in Needham.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ted Doyle appeared at the Select Board meeting June 23 to present the plan. He said his company is partnering with the property's owner, the publicly traded real estate investment trust company, Welltower.

Doyle noted his team has met with the Planning Board three times in recent months. At its most recent meeting, the board's members voted to sponsor a pair of zoning articles to create a new zoning district, called the Avery Square Business District, set to be voted on at Town Meeting in October this year.

The footprint of the planned property in Needham will largely remain the same, Doyle told the Board, with the exception of a fourth level added to the three story structure that exists today.

The property at 100 West St. is the historic site of a national children's clothing company founded in Needham in 1865 by town resident William Carter.

Most recently, Kindred Healthcare opened a 60 bed assisted living facility and a 142 bed skilled nursing facility at the location. The Kindred facilities, Avery Manor and Avery Crossing closed in February 2018 -- two of five shuttered in the state by the Louisville-based healthcare company that year.

Kelly Engineering Group has worked on several senior living development projects locally, including construction of Wingate Healthcare properties in Needham, and is working with LCB Senior Living on the project design and construction.

Speaking to members of the Select Board on behalf of the engineering company, David Kelly discussed the design for the property and said work will be done to renew the look of the property and will include landscaping and set-back features to help minimize the view. from other properties. He said construction on the property is estimated to last 18 months and interior demolition work will be done to reconfigure apartment layouts.

A traffic study performed as part of the proposal found the new facilities will generate about half of the trips generated at the site under the previous healthcare company's ownership.

Traffic engineer Erin Fredette explained the difference, saying Skilled Nursing Facilities such as the one previously operated at the property require a higher level of care for residents, and higher staffing needs, compared to the planned independent living apartments and memory care facility.

A cost analysis presented to the board estimated the net annual fiscal impact of the project for the town will be $388,877. The sum includes real estate and personal property tax revenue, excise tax revenue, and accounting revenue.

The new development will increase the existing property assessment, from $175,411 to $470,572. The estimated annual municipal costs to the town from the senior facilities is estimated at $162,081 for police, fire, ambulance and Board of health services.

As the town approaches its October Town Meeting, LCB Senior Living will meet with the Select Board, Planning Board, and Finance Committee to seek a vote on its recommendation.

Select Board chair Moe Handel concluded the meeting and said the Select Board will take up its recommendation vote after the Planning Board finishes its review.

According to the firm's website, LCB Senior Living employs about 1,800 people and owns properties in 7 U.S. states that are home to about 2,000 residents.

Locally, the company manages Traditions of Dedham and Traditions of Wayland, and owns and operates The Residence at Watertown Square.

This article was updated to show that LCB Senior Living manages Traditions of Dedham and Tradtions of Wayland.

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