SENIOR LIVING
Facility seeks planning approval to begin work near downtown in June
El Castillo, the downtown retirement community along the Santa Fe River, is seeking city Planning Commission approval of its development plan for a new senior independent living facility on the downtown’s northern edge, on the corner of Old Taos Highway at Paseo de Peralta.
The plan, which is on the commission’s Dec. 6 agenda, calls for moving an old sequoia tree on the site to a more prominent position closer to the southwest corner of the old Ghost Ranch property owned by Presbyterian Church Corp., which was cleared of buildings last year. The landmark tree inspired the Spanish name of the new sister community: La Secoya de El Castillo.
The Historic Districts Review Board in July unanimously approved a height variance that the owner said was necessary to move ahead with the project. Al Jahner, CEO/administrator of El Castillo, said the review board’s permission for a third story on the complex was essential to the project’s financial viability.
If the Planning Commission approves, construction could begin as early as June. He estimated that it would take about 18 months to complete.
Senior housing is in demand in Santa Fe as the
population ages. While El Castillo has done no marketing for La Secoya, it already has a waiting list for the proposed facility as well as the original, which fronts on East Alameda Street a few blocks from the Plaza.
“That’s the draw, being downtown,” Jahner said.
Not long ago, it added a 40-bed memory care center on East DeVargas Street just south of the main complex.
In 2015, the City Council rejected Colorado-based MorningStar Senior Living Communities’ proposal to build an 84-unit facility next to the Elks Lodge on Old Pecos Trail after the mayor changed his vote in the face of strong neighborhood opposition. However, MorningStar, in conjunction with Confluent Senior Living, later broke ground on the former site of an office building on South Pacheco Street for a facility with 85 units for assisted living and memory care residents. The project is now nearing completion.
The Montecito Santa Fe senior living center on Rodeo Road, which a previous owner opened in 2006 as RainbowVision, won Planning Commission approval a year ago to develop a 40-bed memory center on a parcel adjacent to the main complex, which the center’s website indicates should be ready in the spring. The Montecito advertises 120 independent living units and 26 assisted living units.
Among other projects, The Legacy Santa Fe, an 84-unit complex developed by a Houston-based company just off N.M. 599 at the intersection of Avenida Aldea and Camino Botanica, opened last year, offering a mix of limited assistance, traditional assisted living and memory care.
The plan for La Secoya, unlike El Castillo, is all independent living. The plan includes amenities such as a juice bar, salon and fitness center, as well as an underground parking garage with 160 spaces and 39 surface spaces. A majority of the planned dwelling units are 1,200 to 1,300 square feet.
El Castillo made some changes from the initial design to satisfy the review board. The number of housing units was reduced from 73 to 69. The heights of the parapets at the port cochere, lobby, living room, multipurpose room, office, fitness center, service area and garage entrance were lowered. The second story on the north side was stepped back and third story pushed toward the interior of the complex.
In return, the board agreed to the proposed height of 36 feet. The maximum allowable height for the site previously was 23 feet, 10 inches. In part because of other multistory structures in the area, city staff said the proposed structure is not “out of sync” with surrounding buildings. The nearby Scottish Rite Center rises to 40 feet, 4 inches. Across Paseo de Peralta, the U.S. District Court building is 57 feet, and the federal building that houses the downtown post office stands 35 feet, 8 inches, according to city staff.
“We fit in the street scene,” Jahner said.
At the Historic Districts Review Board meeting, some neighbors said they were still worried about issues such as density, height and traffic. Some residents of the adjoining Plaza del Monte were worried about shading caused by the proposed facility.
Jeffrey Lewis said the project would add a huge amount of pedestrian traffic at an already dangerous intersection. Penelope Perryman, who lives north of the site, said a three-story structure is not harmonious with one-story buildings and offices in the area.
Nancy Armbruster, who lives at Plaza del Monte, said she believes the space is too small, traffic already is dangerous, and probably only wealthy inhabitants will be able to afford it to live there. Her daughter also said she thought the plan was “too massive.”
At the hearing, Jahner countered by saying that 85 percent of residents at El Castillo’s facility on East Alameda Street are from Santa Fe and the surrounding community, so, “We are not bringing in a bunch of rich people.”
John Scott, a new resident of Santa Fe who said he is on the waiting list for El Castillo, said he thought the design was visually appealing, while Kurt Hill, who lives within 1,000 feet of the property, said he frequently walks downtown and, “It is good to have sidewalks.”
“I hope to live there someday,” he added.
The plan for La Secoya, unlike El Castillo, is all independent living. The plan includes amenities such as a juice bar, salon and fitness center, as well as an underground parking garage.