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Assisted living home for veterans in the making?
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Veterans and their spouses may have a new Long Island housing option if the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center builds an affordable assisted living complex on its Middleville Road grounds.
A 20.67-acre parcel of land, stretched from the main to the rear gates of the sprawling 268-acre veterans' property, is being considered for a facility that would also provide its residents direct access to the hospital's health services.
The Northport VA is looking to enter into an enhanced-use lease with a developer who would build, operate and maintain the property for the proposed use for a term of up to 75 years. The total size and scope of the facility would depend on what exactly is proposed.
"Right now we're exploring what could and could not be done with the property," said Philip Weisbroat, facility planner for the Northport VA. "We're not at the developer point; we're not at the design point; we're at the concept point right now."
A public hearing is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 pm at the VA, Room A1-5 conference room, building 200. Said Weisbroat, "We're really sharing our idea with the community, with the employees — everybody we consider stakeholders. … It's at the very early stage where it's open for discussion."
Over the years, individuals from various veterans groups have expressed an interest in affordable housing for veterans, added Weisbroat, who declined to name them. "That's where the idea kind of started. They said it would be nice to have this and we said, 'OK, we'll take a look at it.'"
Assisted living housing has been incorporated into other veterans centers in the country, including those in Batavia, near Buffalo, and Danville, Ill.
With VA assisted living facilities already in operation, Northport would not be a pilot site, Weisbroat said, citing projects at different stages of development at the Newington VAMC in Connecticut and Bath VAMC in upstate New York.
The proposal is being encouraged on the federal level with coordination between the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies as they are encouraged to think more creatively about use of their lands, said Eric Alexander, executive director of the Northport-based Vision Long Island, which seeks to promote economically sustainable growth.
"I think if planned properly, housing could work there," Alexander said, of the Northport facility. "Particularly if it's meeting the needs of the Long Island community. The key is to listen to the residents' concerns. It's good that they're having a meeting in advance, as opposed to after the fact, which is oftentimes a lot of how these efforts happen. ... Hats off to them for having a meeting early."
Alexander added, "I hope before people jump to conclusions and get anxious and potentially angry, that folks really analyze the impact: it may not be much, it may be modest. There is a fair amount of property that the VA has and we hope that folks will be thoughtful and considerate and listen. There's certainly a need out there, so we look forward to hearing where they're going with their planning."
Questions or comments should be addressed in writing prior to the hearing to: Philip Weisbroat (137), Facility Planner, Northport VA Medical Center, 79 Middleville Road, Northport, NY 11768.
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