Ask just about any baby boomer to describe the neighborhood he/she grew up in and more times than not you’ll hear about close-knit neighbors, a grocery store within walking distance, and maybe even a park where families and friends gathered. Unfortunately, most Gen X’ers can’t even visualize the setting just
described.

With the growing populationof baby boomers comes the growing need for meeting their changing residential needs such as downsizing for empty nesters or assisted living accommodations. SoL Harris/Day, in collaboration with a local development group led by Carl Bates, is working with the City of Green on the design of a $30 million senior housing complex located off of Koons Road.

The design concept of the 61-acre property includes an assisted-living facility and approximately 200 town homes (both singles and two-story). Also included in the ‘new neighborhood’ will be some of the amenities from the past that contribute to an active community: parks with walking paths and playgrounds, a pool, fishing ponds, a shopping area with a coffee shop, general store, barbershop and hair salon. “We want to recreate the feeling of ‘the old neighborhood’ in a new and exciting setting,” said Matthew Sutter, Project Manager and Partner with SoL Harris/Day. “We also wanted to create a place where multiple activities will attract visits from younger families with or without children.”

The guiding principle of the new development is to use smaller lots and combine the leftover land into multiple parks and open spaces. Instead of each house sitting on its own half acre, each townhouse will sit on a lot one third of that size. The difference in the smaller lot sizes will not be used to create more homes, instead, the land will be used for parkland and naturally preserved green space. Multiple wetland areas will be preserved in an environmentally responsible way so that each home will share a large, open green space. This will create a remarkable park-like setting in which to live and play.