Senior Living Development Proposed For North Long Lake Road

Plans for a large-scale senior living development on North Long Lake Road between Zimmerman and Herkner roads are under review with Garfield Township planning commissioners, who could give an initial sign-off for the project at their July 8 meeting.

Wallick Communities, a development group that specializes in low-income and senior housing throughout the Midwest, hopes to build Oakleaf Village on nearly 53 vacant acres at 5143 North Long Lake Road next to The Children's House (pictured). The senior living campus would feature independent living, assisted living, and memory care facilities and would be built in two phases. Phase one calls for building 154 units on the northern end of the property along North Long Lake Road, including a 155,000 square-foot, two-story licensed adult care facility with 50 independent living apartments, 60 assisted living units, and 24 memory care units. Plans describe “underground parking, dining rooms, bistros, fitness centers, beauty salon, health exam rooms, activity rooms, multipurpose rooms, and living rooms for residents and guests to enjoy” in the facility.

Phase one also calls for construction of 20 standalone villas situated in “pocket neighborhoods, creating a park-like setting in each neighborhood,” according to project documents. “The villas will be 1,600 square feet and will all feature the same floor plan designed for the more active and independent senior.” Phase two of Oakleaf Village would be built on nearly 22 acres on the property’s southern end – with access to Zimmerman Road – and contain a total of 75 units, including 33 standalone homes ranging from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet on individual lots over 15,000 square feet each. Additional wings would be added to the licensed adult care building to house 30 more assisted living apartments and 12 memory care apartments. A 50,000 square-foot community space would also be constructed in phase two.

Wallick Communities says their typical residents are 65-74 years old for independent living units and 75 years and older for assisted living and memory care units. “Our commitment and dedication to caring for seniors involves more than just a building,” the company wrote in its proposal. “We take a holistic approach to senior living, incorporating building design, services and activities, resident comfort, and cost considerations. Through this multifaceted approach, our communities become a home that can not only sustain – but also improve – the quality of life for our residents and provide peace of mind for their loved ones.” Wallick Communities added that many residents either previously lived themselves or have adult children who live within a 10-mile radius of their campuses, with amenities included on-site to facilitate family visits.

According to the development group, an estimated 24 percent of the property would be preserved as open space, with amenities to include pickleball courts, walking paths, a pond, and a bike path. When complete, Oakleaf Village would have connections to both North Long Lake and Zimmerman Roads, as well as connections to nearby residential developments, such as Heritage Estates through the extension of Colonial Drive. Township Planning Director John Sych said that when Colonial Drive was originally built as a stub, it was with the understanding it would someday be extended when new adjoining development was constructed to the north. He said Heritage Estates currently only has one drive onto Zimmerman – a choke point that would not meet today’s fire code standards due to the number of houses in the subdivision. Oakleaf Village’s additional planned connections “will actually allow for an extra safety entrance…into Heritage Estates,” Sych said.

Wallick Communities is seeking approval for a planned unit development (PUD) for the project, or a zoning plan tailored to a specific property. Obtaining PUD approval is a multi-step process that includes preliminary approval by both the township planning commission and board of trustees, and then a final round of approvals following engineering. Planning commissioners and staff were largely supportive of the project Wednesday, with Sych saying that it “really fits in well” with surrounding land uses. Michael DiCarlantonio of Wallick Communities said the development group would be investing “several tens of millions of dollars” into the project, describing the site as a “high-end senior living property.”

Some planning commissioners – and a few neighboring residents – raised a handful of concerns at Wednesday’s meeting, primarily related to potential traffic impacts and buffers between the campus and surrounding neighborhoods. The board debated whether or not Wallick Communities needed to obtain a traffic impact report; while North Long Lake Road is a well-trafficked corridor – particularly during the school year – DiCarlantonio pointed out that an estimated 80 percent of residents living on the campus wouldn’t have a vehicle, with a majority of on-campus activity occurring indoors. “The majority of traffic would come from staff,” he said, noting that staff shifts are staggered throughout the day. “It's a project where it's not creating a lot of traffic, it's not going to be creating a lot of congestion. It’s going to be a quiet project.”

DiCarlantonio also said that the buildings closest to nearby residential neighborhoods would be the residential villas, which would blend in and be “harmonious” with other homes close by. Planning commissioners ultimately requested that Wallick Communities provide additional details on traffic impacts and a handful of other issues – such as sidewalk connections – in time for the board’s July 8 meeting. If planning commissioners feel they have adequate details at that meeting, they can extend preliminary PUD approval, with the project next going to township trustees for approval.