Council tables vote after hours of public comment on assisted‑living plan behind Heritage Presbyterian

City council on a late April evening tabled consideration of an ordinance that would have approved a conditional‑use permit for a proposed Silver Birch assisted‑living community on land owned by Heritage Presbyterian Church near the intersection of Tylersville and Mesa Montgomery roads.

The proposal from Vermillion Development — operating the senior housing under the Silver Birch Living brand — would place an assisted‑living building and related parking on roughly 8.5 acres adjacent to the church. The developer and its consultants told the council the project would provide senior housing, generate property tax revenue on land that is currently tax‑exempt, and create about 45–50 jobs at the community. City planning staff and the Planning Commission had recommended approval of the conditional use after reviewing the code standards.

Neighbors and other residents, who outnumbered supporters at the meeting, told council they were concerned about the building’s scale, traffic, stormwater and public‑safety impacts. Several speakers said their subdivision has no sidewalks and that school traffic already creates congestion…