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Council adopts rezoning to allow 45-unit senior housing development on former Randolph Nursing Home site
Summary
After a presentation by attorney Bob Cook, the Winchester City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-9 to rezone a roughly 7-acre tract for a 45-unit, age-restricted (62+) senior housing project; applications for state funding are planned this summer.
Attorney Bob Cook, representing Bethany Villages Inc., told the Winchester City Council his client is seeking an ordinance to rezone an approximately 7-acre tract — the former Randolph Nursing Home site — from R-1 (residential medium density) to R-3 (residential high density) to develop age-restricted housing for people 62 and older.
Cook said the proposed single-story development would contain about 45 units organized around a central common area, sit on a slab foundation with brick exterior and asphalt shingle roofing, and include on-site stormwater detention or retention. He estimated the project’s total development cost at about $13,000,000 and said more than 95% of funding would come from developer equity, bank financing and federal subsidies. The limited partnership behind the project intends to apply to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority before July 27, 2026; awards are expected in November 2026. If the partnership receives funding, Cook said construction could begin in the fall of 2026 with completion in fall 2027.
Council members asked whether neighbors had raised objections; Cook said one resident objected, expressing concern that R-3 zoning might allow other uses, but he noted the proposed use is age-restricted senior housing and argued it will generate less traffic and staffing than the prior nursing home use. Following the presentation the council moved to suspend rules for the second and third readings, read Ordinance 2026-9 by title, and adopted it on the final reading. The council recorded the adoption of Ordinance 2026-9 during the meeting.
Why it matters: rezoning clears a key regulatory step that Bethany Villages says is required to demonstrate compliance in its application for state housing incentives. The proposal pledges low-income units targeted at households with incomes below 30% of area median income, which affects eligibility for certain funding programs the applicants intend to pursue.
What’s next: the limited partnership will include the ordinance in its application to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority; award decisions are expected in November 2026. If funded, construction could begin as soon as fall 2026 and finish in fall 2027.
