Special Tuesday meeting to address senior housing needs

A special meeting to discuss how best to address the need for senior housing options in the city of Brentwood will be held 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Municipal Center at 5211 Maryland Way.

Residents are invited to attend, but there will be no time allotted for public comments; instead, the Board of Commissioners will attempt to come to a consensus on what act the city can take to promote the development of senior housing.

Within the past year, nearly every commissioner has said the city needs more housing options for Brentwood’s aging population, and the topic was a hot button issue in May’s election.

The most discussed solution is to create a zoning ordinance that would be age restricted for residents age 55 and up. Most commissioners agree the demand of senior housing is more for a one story, patio style home rather than an assisted living facility.

However, the crux of the issue is, should Brentwood break its strict one-acre per home density standard to make it more financially justifiable for developer to decide to dedicate a neighborhood to only seniors.

According to the Brentwood 2020 survey, 62 percent of residents said they would support a greater density of homes per acre if the project were geared toward a senior development, which generally generates less traffic and impact on schools.

It is unclear where the majority commissioners stand on this issue, but Tuesday night’s special called meeting will be the forum where all these details and more are discussed at length.

What is clear is that 85 percent of residents answered on that same survey that the city needs to provide more senior housing developments, and about as many said those facilities need to be near amenities.

Residents with concerns are asked to contact commissioners or city staff before Tuesday’s meeting. No formal actions will take place June 23, but instead, will serve in another step as Brentwood continues to try to cater to its aging population.

For previous coverage, visit Commission slates special meeting on senior housing for late June

Jonathan Romeo covers Brentwood for Home Page Media Group. Contact him at jonathan@brentwoodhomepage.com.