West Carrollton one step closer to getting 70 senior independent-living housing units

A Dayton area community looking to serve its fastest growing demographic is on the verge of approving a new senior housing development.

West Carrollton Senior Village will include 70 senior independent living rental homes at 1450 S. Elm St. The vacant 5.35-acre property is sandwiched between residential properties to the west and commercial properties to the east.

MVAH Partners LLC’s plan for the site is conceptual and preliminary, according to Greg Gaines, the city’s director of planning and community development. If it is constructed based on what was submitted, a building to the north along South Elm Street would be four stories and 58 units. Two structures with six villa style units each would be constructed on the south side of the site closed to Royal Ridge Road.

The four-story structure would offer one- and two-bedroom options and an elevator, along with on-site management, a community room, fitness center, business center and senior programs. The 12 cottages would provide two-bed ranch living options.

The city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously Jan. 7 to recommend approval of the project and West Carrollton City Council held a public hearing and first reading Tuesday on a resolution to approve a preliminary residential planned unit development design and rezoning of the property. Council members are expected to hold a second reading Feb. 9.

West Carrollton acquired the site in 2013, according to Montgomery County Auditor’s Office records. The city listed the land in 2019 via a commercial broker it is using to market properties, officials said. City council voted Nov. 24 to sell the acreage for $210,000 to MVAH Partners.

MVAH Partners, which has an office in Butler County, has focused on developing affordable housing options for seniors age 55 and up for nearly 30 years. It constructed Riverside Senior Lofts in Dayton and Carriage Village Senior Villas in Tipp City.

Construction of the project meets criteria set by the city’s comprehensive plan, specifically creating opportunities to allow residents to remain in the city as they age, Gaines told city council Tuesday. The city’s planning staff is in favor of the project because it also develops a long-vacant site with something that will enhance the visual character of the area, as well as neighborhood property values, he said.

“The senior population in West Carrollton is the faster growing demographic in the city, however, senior housing options are limited at this point and those changing conditions justify this rezoning to provide some additional housing options for that growing demographic,” Gaines said.

The project will have an estimated an $11 million build-out cost, Mike Lucking, West Carrollton’s economic development director, previously told the Dayton Daily News, something that is “certainly going to inject some investment into the community.”

City officials say they expect MVAH to break ground on West Carrollton Senior Village in late 2021 or early 2022.

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