Benchmark Senior Living Plans New Alzheimers' Wing in Niantic

East Lyme Zoning Commission last night voted to approve a special permit to allow Benchmark Senior Living, more commonly known as Crescent Point, to build a new residential wing for people with Alzheimer's at its facility at 417 Main Street in Niantic.  

Bill Cook, director of project management for Crescent Point, said the expansion is being driven by a growing demand for assisted living facilities for people with Alzheimers. Crescent Point has been full to capacity since it opened in 2001, he said. The facility currently has 66 residential units, of which 24 are set aside for Alzheimer's patients. 

The proposed 2,990 square foot addition would include 11 new residential units built around a common area that will include a dining room and recreational area with a country kitchen in the center. The new units are smaller in size than the majority of units at the facility because they won't include kitchens, although all will have their own bathrooms.    

The same architectural firm that designed the original building will be working on the addition. The design is inspired by seaside country inns, and the new wing will continue that theme and open out on to a common open space area for recreation. 

The proposal presented to the Zoning Commission last night would have resulted in a reduction of seven parking spaces from the current lot, which would leave a total of 32 spaces. That falls within the town's zoning regulations, which require .4 spaces per unit in an assisted living facility because few, if any, residents have vehicles.

However, a local resident who spoke at the public hearing last night reminded the commission that it had initially required an additional seven spaces to accommodate employees and visitors. Street parking on Lake Street, which borders Crescent Point, is limited and used by patrons of the Children's Museum, Niantic Animal Hospital, and the funeral home, he noted. 

After hearing from the resident about crowded street parking, the Commission asked the designers to add back the seven parking spaces as a condition of the permit. The Commission also requested additional foliage be planted to create more of a buffer between the facility's parking lot and the neighboring properties. 

Cook said the expansion will have no impact on the number of employees at the facility, which he said is currently overstaffed for the number of residents. Crescent Point has 15 to 20 people on staff at any given time but their shifts vary, Cook said, so 39 parking spaces should be more than sufficient to accomodate both employees and visitors. If everything goes according to plan, Cook said he hopes the new additional will be open by next spring.

The decision to approve the permit was unanimous. Zoning Commission Chairman Marc Salerno said that Crescent Point has "been a very nice addition to downtown." That's true in more ways than one. When Crescent Point was first built it was the town's top taxpayer. As it stands now, it's the town's third largest taxpayer, behind Stop & Shop and CL&P.