Simsbury Retirement Community Plans Major Expansion

SIMSBURY, CT — A local nonprofit retirement community is looking to expand, with Simsbury's wetlands board hosting a special meeting next week on the project.

McLean Affiliates Inc., a nonprofit operator of the McLean assisted living/senior living community on Great Pond Road, is looking to add 52 new residential units — called "The Meadow Homes at McLean" — at the 75 Great Pond Road site.

Because of the expansion plan's proximity to wetlands, a wetlands permit is required before McLean can apply to the town's zoning board for a permit to build.

A permit application was submitted to the town earlier this year, with the Simsbury Conservation Commission/Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency taking up the matter in February.

That board meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Simsbury Public Library, 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, for a continued public hearing that could be closed as a precursor to a vote that night.

Since the application was first submitted, commission members and town officials have had questions about the project, with some residents nearby expressing concern about the impacts of such a development.

Because of this, the hearing was continued Feb. 18, March 20, and, again, on April 1, with a special meeting now slated for Thursday, April 17, on the matter.

Should the hearing be closed, the wetlands board could vote on the application that night.

Lisa Clark, president of McLean of Simsbury, said McLean has been part of Simsbury since 1932.

She said McLean is looking to expand out of need.

"McLean is proposing to expand—not to grow for the sake of growth, but for the demand and desire for more senior housing, both in the state and within the town," Clark said in a statement sent to Patch.

"Our independent living village is full. We have over 30 people on a waitlist for current options, and an additional 127 members—95% of whom are Connecticut residents—eagerly awaiting the chance to call McLean their home. Research supports the need – the surrounding market can comfortably and responsibly accommodate 100 more independent residences."

Clark said early plans called for 100 added units, but the plan was scaled back to 52 in the form of two-unit duplexes, each unit between 1,400 and 2,500 square feet.

She addressed environmental concerns about the development.

"We’re also taking extensive steps to protect the natural environment. Only 18 of the 110 acres on our Simsbury campus will be used in the proposed development," she said.

"Native plantings will replace invasive species. Stormwater retention ponds and oversized culverts will improve water flow and reduce runoff, benefiting not just our property, but our neighbors as well.

"When it comes to wildlife, we take our role as stewards seriously. We’ve partnered with Quinn Ecological, experts in amphibian and reptile conservation, to assess and protect sensitive species like the Eastern box turtle. Their findings will guide our process before, during, and after construction. We’re also in regular consultation with Connecticut DEEP to ensure best practices are followed throughout."

For all documents related to the McLean wetlands application, click on this link.

For the agenda of the April 17 Simsbury Conservation Commission/Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency meeting, click on this link.