Date: Fri 12-Sep-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

health-assisted-living-Ashlar

Full Text:

Ashlar Rest Home Addition Approved by P&Z

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have approved Ashlar of Newtown's

plans to build a rest home for the elderly as an addition to its nursing home

on Toddy Hill Road.

In approving the project September 4, P&Z members granted Ashlar a "special

exception" to the zoning regulations.

Ashlar plans to build Lockwood Lodge, a 48-unit assisted-living apartment

complex which will be linked to the northern end of Ashlar's existing 156-bed

nursing home. The almost 54,000-square-foot rest home will be in a three-story

building.

Ashlar President Thomas Gutner has told P&Z members that health care is a

rapidly changing field. Having a rest home at Ashlar is intended to limit

overall health care costs and broaden the range of services the facility

offers.

Ashlar wants to build an assisted-living facility which will provide more care

than is available at an "independent living" facility, but not as much care as

is provided at a "skilled nursing care" facility such as Ashlar's nursing

home. Residents in assisted-living settings need some help with activities

such as eating, bathing, toileting, and dressing. The compact apartments in

such a facility provide a home-like setting.

Having an assisted-living complex will allow Ashlar to serve more older

adults. Such facilities are cost-effective while providing a safe and secure

place to live for the elderly, according to Mr Gutner.

Typically, residents of assisted-living facilities are widows or widowers. A

typical resident is an 81- or 82-year-old woman.

Six of the 48 apartments will be larger than the others, allowing double

occupancy in those six units and providing room for up to 54 residents at the

rest home.

The project will include a common area linking the rest home to the nursing

home. A new main entrance to the overall complex will be built.

A new facility will generate an additional 100 vehicle trips daily at Ashlar,

according to Ashlar's traffic study.

The rest home is planned for occupancy by 1999. The planned rest home will be

at the end of Ashlar's long driveway and won't be visible from Toddy Hill

Road.

Last January, P&Z members approved two zoning amendments sought by Ashlar to

allow it to proceed with planning for the assisted-living complex.

Ashlar had requested that the zoning regulations be customized to allow

elevator shaft enclosures to protrude four feet above the roofline of the rest

home, and also to allow a parapet wall on such a building to rise four feet

above the roofline.

For mechanical reasons, elevator shafts must be taller than the roofline of

the building in which they are installed. A parapet wall would enhance the

look of the planned assisted-living building, having it architecturally match

the nursing home.

The new construction will be somewhat smaller than an expansion project sought

by Ashlar in the past.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 12-Sep-1997

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