Memory care facility planned for township

A proliferation of assisted living, memory care facilities across Oakland County hasn't slowed the demand for such resources, as Bloomfield Township considers the construction of a 36,000-square foot, 60-bed memory care facility in the 2100 block of Opdyke Road. Dubbed "In the Present," by Dr. Sase Persaud, the proposed site plan would cater exclusively to residents diagnosed with Alzheimers or early stages of dementia, and would include amenities such as an interior courtyard with gardens and other conveniences at the former Montessori school property at 2101 Opdyke Road. The site plan, which requires special accommodation use approval, went before the Bloomfield Township Planning Commission on Monday, May 20, which unanimously recommended sending the plans to the township board for approval. If approved, the plans include a single-story, 36,033 square-foot building with a maximum of 58 units, including two two-bedroom units, for a total of 60 proposed beds. The average studio unit would be about 375 square feet, with one-bedroom units at 405 square feet, and deluxe and two-bedroom units at 528 square feet. The facility also includes dining areas, resident services, building maintenance facilities and 21,450 square feet of interior courtyard for exclusive use by the residents. The overall height of the building would be 22 feet. The proposed site plan raised some concern from neighbors adjacent to the site, many of whom told commissioners they wanted appropriate landscaping and vegetation to shield their homes from the facility. The plans calls for evergreen screening around transformers and air conditioning units, as well as the addition of 59 trees, including extensive landscaping and a 20-foot greenbelt along the northern property line. The plan includs a market study of similar facilities in the areas which showed a strong demand for such services. "The market for senior residential care facilities in Bloomfield Hills preliminary market area and surrounding areas is strong, with retirement living types surveyed achieving high occupancy rates, even while the product has doubled over the past four to five years," a market analysis from Nancy Patzer Consulting stated. "Since 2013, nearly 400 new assisted living and memory care beds have entered this market. Even given this, the overall occupancy rate for assisted living beds in the Bloomfield Hills Site PMA is over 92 percent." The study said the recommended base fee of $5,500 for the proposed memory care units is comparable to surrounding facilities that were surveyed, including First & Main, Windemere Park of Oakland, Cedarbrook of Bloomfield Hills, Oakmont Rochester, Sunrise Assisted Living of Troy and Arden Courts of Bingham Farms. The proposed site plan was unanimously recommended for approval to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees.