A building twice as big as the largest commercial building in Freeland is nearing final approval by Island County.

A proposed “assisted care complex,” located at Scott and Newman roads, is in the final stages of receiving a building permit from county planners.

The assisted care facility will be twice as big as

Payless Grocery Store, which is 27,000-square-feet, the maximum size allowed for commercial structures in Freeland.

But county officials say the project more closely resembles residential use, and it was processed as a conditional use permit. The land is zoned “rural center,” which allows commercial and multi-family projects.

Though the three-story structure will look like one building, county officials say it is actually two buildings connected by a common wall. And with each building under the commercial limitation of 27,000-square-feet, the complex will not violate the ban in Freeland on buildings bigger than 27,000-square-feet.

Not that the size restriction on commercial buildings mattered much. County officials say the project was processed as a residential structure. They focused on the residential use planned rather than the square footage.

“The county considers it a residential use. Those units will be home to people,” said Jeff Tate, assistant planning director for Island County.

Tate said it more closely resembles residential in its use of water, septic and traffic. Though it has to meet design standards such as landscaping and parking that are not required for typical residential building permits.

Tate said the county is paying a lot of attention to the aesthetics of the building.

“The developers have made a number of changes

along the way. It is considered two independent structures, but its going to look like a single building,” Tate said.

Tate said the county is requiring the developers to minimize the straight lines of the building with the use of landscaping, screening for parking and exterior colors, which have been changed to muted earth tones.

“A cupola was added to take away the solid roof line,” Tate said.

The building size limits for Freeland and Clinton were adopted in 1999 after a state Growth Management Hearings Board ruled the county had to limit new development so it was not out of scale with the community.

To do that, the county adopted building size limits based on the size of the largest buildings at the time; a limit of 27,000-square-feet in Freeland and 14,000- square-feet in Clinton.

Some say they are disappointed because the complex could look like one big building that totals 54,000- square-feet.

They also complain there wasn’t adequate public notice to comment on the proposal.

“I am disappointed there wasn’t more opportunity for public input,” said Steve Shapiro, a Freeland businessman.

Shapiro says he favors an assisted care facility, but wanted the public to be more involved in the process.

Two buildings

The project will consist of two buildings; one that’s 26,890 square feet and one that’s 26,950 square feet. Both pieces will be three stories high.

The complex will have 75 studio or one-bedroom units and several common areas.

The plans calls for a one-hour solid firewall to connect the two buildings.

“The project meets the county code definition for two buildings,” Tate said.

However, planners say it will look more like one building from the front.

The combined footprint of one story, including both buildings, will be about 14,000 square feet.

Planners are in the final stages of reviewing the project before issuing a building permit.

The plans went through a public review process in 2001 and 2002. Once it was approved by the county, the developers had 5 years to apply for a building permit.

“They are nearing their deadline to either us it or lose it,” Tate said.

Building permits can be appealed but only in Superior Court.

“The plan has already gone through the public review process. The only option is a judicial appeal,” Tate explained.

The planning department is reviewing its landscape plan and the Island County Health Department is reviewing water availability.

The facility will be served by the Freeland Water District and the Main Street Sewer System. Water district officials expect the complex to use the amount of water consumed by 23 residential units.

When the project was presented as one building that totaled 54,000 square feet, some Freeland residents voiced their opposition to such a large building, saying it could set a precedent.

The plan has gone through several revisions along the way.

The first plan called for 78 units in two buildings connected by a breezeway. Since then the project has been amended slightly in size and scope.

The breezeway was eliminated, the number of living units was reduced, and the parking lot, landscaping and impervious surface components were modified.

The size of the new facility is not a concern to some residents at the senior housing development, however. They just want to see it built. Many residents of Maple Ridge bought their condos thinking that an assisted care facility would be built nearby.

Helgard Fridell, a resident since 2002 of the Village at Maple Ridge, says she will be happy to see the new care facility built.

The land right now is an unsightly vacant lot, Fridell said. And she is also hoping the new facility will offer amenities like a dining room and meeting room that can be used by the condo residents.

Other residents are just happy to see the project moving forward, and having the facility available when and if they need it.

Open in 2007

Mountain West Retirement Corporation of Oregon, the developers of the project, has said the complex will be open in the spring of 2007.

“Island County planning is reviewing our blueprints,” said Ben Settecase, project coordinator for the company.

“We hope to get construction started before winter. We are fairly close,” Settecase said.

Settecase said a representative from the company will be on site during the final construction phase to answer questions and take reservations.

Each unit, whether it’s a studio or one bedroom, will have its own kitchenette. Common areas will include a dining room, meeting room, TV lounge and computer area.

Mountain West Retirement Corporation has 26 retirement homes with different levels of acuity care in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The company just completed a project in Port Townsend.

“This is our smallest project. On larger campuses we have different levels of care, including memory care,” Settecase said.

The facility will provide support for people who are mobile but may need assistance with one or two activities of daily living.

Plans for the facility began almost seven years ago.

In 2001, a site plan review was approved that allowed for the construction of two 26,857-square-foot assisted care facility buildings that were connected by an approximately 475-square-foot single-story structure. The total square footage of the assisted care facility was approximately 54,190 square feet and contained 78 individual living units.

In 2005, the Island County planning department received a request to amend the previously approved site plan.

The requested amendment included reducing the number of living units to 75, modifying the approved building footprint, the parking lot, the landscaping and reducing the amount of impervious surface around the building.

On Jan. 9, 2006 the planning department granted approval of the requested revisions.

Gayle Saran can be reached at 221-5300 or gsaran@southwhidbeyrecord.com.