Former Workforce Housing Site Might Become The Sheridan At Severna Park

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By Zach Sparks
zach@pasadenavoice.com

Brightview Severna Park, HeartLands, Sunrise of Severna Park, Spring Arbor and Kris-Leigh — several senior living options exist in Severna Park, but the team of Kaufman Jacobs and Senior Lifestyle believes there is room for one more.

During the Greater Severna Park Council’s November meeting, the two companies shared plans for a three-story, 102-unit senior facility at 134 Ritchie Highway. The property is 950 feet north of the Earleigh Heights intersection.

The facility would be built on 5.14 acres of land zoned R2, which is generally intended for low-density suburban single-family residential development. Although the site was previously approved for a special exception that allowed 143 units of assisted living, Kaufman Jacobs and Senior Lifestyle want to build a smaller community and need approval from the Office of Planning and Zoning.

Before that, in 2014, the property was the intended home of the proposed Earleigh Station Apartments, which caused an uproar among people in Severna Park and Pasadena who were weary of additional traffic and overcrowding in schools.

At the November GSPC meeting were employees from Kaufman Jacobs and Senior Lifestyle, and an architect from Wiencek + Associates.

Bob Gawronski, vice president of development for Senior Lifestyle, addressed potential criticism about there being too many senior living communities in Severna Park.

“The market is strong and deep,” Gawronski said. “We only go in markets if we can thrive and our competitors can thrive.”

According to Gawronski, the average age of expected tenants is 85.5 for the assisted living complex and 89.5 for the memory care building. The average rent will be $5,500 to $7,000 a month for assisted living and about $8,000 per month for memory care.

“They might need help with meals, they might need help getting dressed in the morning, they might need reminders to take their medication,” Gawronski said.

Because of the older age of residents, officials from Kaufman Jacobs and Senior Lifestyle don’t expect their facility to cause traffic problems. They will have a 14-passenger shuttle van onsite, and the 66 parking spaces might get used less frequently as residents get acclimated to their new homes and abandon their cars.

Architect David Banta from Wiencek + Associates talked about the craftsman-style architecture and the tree cover that will make the building less visible from the sides. He also said the Sheridan at Severna Park will have just one entrance and exit, on Ritchie Highway.

An administrative hearing is set for 10:00am on December 6 at the Arundel Center in Annapolis. If the special exception is granted, the developers need to finish site plans and undergo construction, with an expected completion date about two years from now. For more information about the hearing, visit the “Planning and Zoning” section at www.aacounty.org or call 410-222-1266.

Brightview Severna Park, HeartLands, Sunrise of Severna Park, Spring Arbor, Kris-Leigh, GSPACC

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