Planning Commission renews site plan for Sanders Ferry assisted-living, approves shed waiver and added parking

The Planning Commission approved renewal of the site plan for an assisted-living and memory-care facility at 216 Sanders Ferry Road and granted a waiver to allow an existing outbuilding to remain in the required landscape buffer, staff said.

Planning staff (Timothy Whitten) told the commission the original plan — first approved in December 2021 and amended in February 2023 — included a waiver for a shed that expired when the site plan lapsed and must be renewed with the current application. Whitten said a recent zoning-ordinance amendment increased the parking requirement for assisted-living facilities from 0.2 spaces per unit (plus one space per two employees) to 0.5 spaces per unit and one space per employee, “so that new parking ratio more than doubled the amount of parking required,” and the applicant has agreed to add spaces behind the building to meet the requirement.

The applicant, Gregory Lutschfi, told the commission he expects to start site work “within the next 6 to 9 months.” Commissioners asked for clarifications about the duration of the renewed approval (staff said three years) and driveway/access alignment with adjacent park entrances.

Commissioner Barry Hardwick moved approval “with all staff comments” including the shed waiver and the added parking requirement; the motion was seconded and passed electronically with seven yes votes.

The action renews the expired site plan, authorizes the shed waiver as part of the renewed approval and requires the applicant to add the staff‑specified parking to bring the project into compliance with the current regulations. The applicant and staff indicated construction timing is likely within the next year. No formal appeals or conditions beyond staff comments were recorded at the meeting.