June 27, 2008
Mayor Staffieri Announces Major New
Development for Derby
Mayor Anthony Staffieri announced today that
United Methodist Homes plans to build a Continuing Care Retirement
Community on a parcel of farmland located on approximately 75 acres in
the eastern most portions of Derby and including land in neighboring
Woodbridge. The project, to be called "Summerfield" will provide a full
range of amenities and services to meet the needs of seniors, whether
they are living independently or need 24-hour personal care.
"I am pleased to announce this project to the
citizens of Derby and the region. Not only is a Continuing Care
Community what I believe to be the highest and best use for this land,
but it will preserve the rural and residential character of the
neighborhood. Summerfield will be self- sufficient creating little or no
impact on Derby City services but producing large economic impact on
Derby and the region by creating upwards of 100 permanent new jobs and
an additional 200 temporary or part-time jobs and enticing new residents
to invest in our businesses and restaurants. It will also create public
venues, opportunities for educational enhancement and meeting places for
the residents of Derby to take advantage of." said Mayor Staffieri.
Last night, Derby’s Board of Alderman voted
unanimously to approve an approximately $112 million project that is
slated to open its doors in 2012. The first phase of Summerfield will
consist of 30 one- and two-bedroom cottage homes, 185 one- and
two-bedroom apartments, and a health center that provides both assisted
living and nursing care. All residents will have access to the main
community building, which will contain a dining room, a café, a library,
an auditorium, a computer center, and a wellness center with exercise
equipment and a pool. Entrances to Summerfield will be on Sodom Lane in
Derby and Baldwin Road in Woodbridge..
"This is a win-win situation for Derby and the
region. It will have positive implications for years to come and it will
create opportunities for Derby residents and others that currently don’t
exist by providing healthcare, increased employment opportunities for
the region and a wide range of residential options for our growing
senior population. I am proud to be a part of this project." Said Board
of Alderman President, Ken Hughes.
Summerfield will provide lifetime care.
Residents will pay an entry fee that will give them lifetime access to
their home and a monthly fee to cover the costs of meals, housekeeping,
utilities and other services. If a resident needs to move to a setting
within the community where more daily care can be provided, the monthly
fee will not change. A choice of entry fee options will include a 90%
refundable entry fee option.
"We are tremendously excited to create this
new community for senior living," said Robert L. Clapp, President/CEO of
United Methodist Homes. "We envision a lively connection between
Summerfield residents and the educational, cultural and service
organizations in this area."
Summerfield will be the first continuing care
retirement community in the United States to be designed and operated
according to the philosophy of Planetree Continuing Care, which supports
the relationships that sustain healthy body, mind and spirit. Planetree
Continuing Care was developed by United Methodist Homes in partnership
with the international Planetree organization based at Griffin Hospital.
Summerfield is sponsored by United Methodist
Homes, a nonsectarian, not-for-profit organization chartered in 1874. In
Connecticut, United Methodist Homes operates Wesley Village, a senior
living community in Shelton, the Middlewoods assisted living residences
in Farmington and Newington, as well as Sharon Health Care Center and
Hospice volunteers of Connecticut in Sharon. All facilities operated by
United Methodist Homes are open to people of any faith, race, and
ethnicity.
The Board of Alderman of the City of Derby has
approved a payment in lieu of taxes (a PILOT) program that allows
Summerfield, a not-for-profit community, to make annual payments to the
City. The negotiated rate will make Summerfield the largest taxpayer in
the City - an amount estimated to be approximately of $650,000 per year.
Some of the details of the negotiated project and estimated financing
include the following:
United Methodist Homes has hired New
Jersey-based New Life Management and Development, an organization that
specializes in establishing and managing continuing care retirement
communities, to develop and market Summerfield.
To learn more about Summerfield, please
contact Bob Congdon, Vice President for Development and Public Relations
for United Methodist Homes, at 203-925-4952.
