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Senior housing projects abound in Milton
by Lauren Ober
Free Press Staff Writer

MILTON — Within the next 15 years, the number of Vermonters age 62 and older is expected to grow by more than 66,000.

In Chittenden County between 2000 and 2010, the number of households with residents in that age bracket is expected to rise by 26 percent, according to the state Department of Housing and Community Affairs. As baby boomers age into senior status, the elder population will steadily expand.

With that expansion comes the need for affordable housing for seniors who might not want to stay in their homes but who do not need the services provided by a nursing home or an assisted-living facility. A scarcity of that type of affordable housing exists in Vermont, said Tim Fluck, deputy director of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission.

Milton, one of the fastest growing towns in the state, is looking to do something about that shortage. Thanks to the town's master plan and changes in its zoning laws over the years, developers are encouraged to build senior housing structures in the center of town. Changes in the zoning laws prohibit strict residential development in the business district in Milton, except in the case of senior housing.

While the town doesn't actively pursue such developments, there is the hope that developers will take advantage of the new laws, said Regina Mahony, town planning director.

"It's almost promoted within the downtown business district," Mahony said of senior housing. "They'd be near doctors and the pharmacy, and there's easy access to services."

Forty-one units of senior housing are in the town, which has slightly more than 10,000 residents, 6 percent of whom are 65 or older. Meadowlane Apartments on Villemaire Lane is a 20-unit senior housing complex, and the School Street Apartments on School Street has 21 units.

In the development pipeline in Milton are two senior-specific housing projects and one condominium development that might include a number of units set aside for seniors. Mahony welcomes these housing developments as a way of accommodating the aging population in town and attracting new people.

"We've got a few senior housing units, but not a ton. We definitely need more," Mahony said. "The baby-boom generation is moving into its older years, and a two-story, single-family house doesn't work so well for the elderly."

Rick LeBlanc, a developer in Milton, is looking to capitalize on the dearth of senior housing and the development-friendly zoning laws in the town's business district. Though not yet in the permitting phase for his Centre Drive project, LeBlanc is confident his development will pass muster with the Development Review Board.

LeBlanc's proposed 30,500-square-foot project consists of 18 two-bedroom units and 12 one-bedroom units. He's looking to begin construction in May. His location on Centre Drive would put seniors in proximity to grocery shopping and doctors' offices, and LeBlanc says he would have no trouble finding seniors to rent the units.

"The location I have is ideal," LeBlanc said. "If I could have it open tomorrow, I'd have it full."

Mahony said she expects more developers to take advantage of the zoning changes.

Developers are looking to build senior housing units outside the business district, too. Blackberry Commons, a development with 31 single-family homes and a 30-unit apartment building on Haydenberry Drive, is in the final stages of the development review process.

Developer Jim Carroll didn't want to comment on the project before it passed the permitting stage, but did say that Milton's zoning laws were conducive to building a community where residents don't need to travel far for services.

Fluck, deputy director of the regional planning commission, emphasized that seniors haven't been forgotten with regard to development, and Milton's zoning laws reflect that sentiment.

"There's a general recognition that there's an inadequate supply of affordable housing," Fluck said.

Contact Lauren Ober at (802) 660-1868 or lober@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com