The Proposed Assisted Living Facility
The controversy over the the proposed Assisted Living Facility on the Truman Waterfront is heating up. Some in the Annex have received an email from the Florida Keys Assisted Care Coalition indicating that it will be presenting "Phase III findings" to the Mayor and City Commissioners on Tuesday, May 1 at 6:00 p.m. at the Old City Hall and asking for support. The group is requesting support for a 99 year lease to create an assisted and independent living community on the parcel of land set aside for that purpose on the Truman Waterfront.
We note that the fourth paragraph of a recent letter to the editor in The Citizen by Southard Street homeowner, blogger and Truman Annex resident, David Lybrand, refers to this controversy as the letter addresses an article appearing in the April 20 edition of the paper. While we don't agree with a lot of what Mr. Lybrand says about the motives for TAMPOA's lawsuit against the City (nor do we agree with a lot of what the City says about this lawsuit), Lybrand's letter is worth reading for its perspective on the use of the Truman Waterfront to build an assisted living facility.
What do you think about this situation? We have not yet formed a view, except to say it seems like there are a lot of arguments to be made for the various viewpoints, and likely many viewpoints not yet heard.
One question is why is this now coming alive when the notion of an assisted living facility was in the original plan for the Truman Waterfront? Another is will the citizens of Key West really hold the City Commission to the original plan for the Waterfront or allow various interest groups to modify the plan? Finally, if the plan is to be modified, what are the compelling arguments for doing so? And, what are the biases or hidden agendas of those making the arguments pro or con?
We note that the fourth paragraph of a recent letter to the editor in The Citizen by Southard Street homeowner, blogger and Truman Annex resident, David Lybrand, refers to this controversy as the letter addresses an article appearing in the April 20 edition of the paper. While we don't agree with a lot of what Mr. Lybrand says about the motives for TAMPOA's lawsuit against the City (nor do we agree with a lot of what the City says about this lawsuit), Lybrand's letter is worth reading for its perspective on the use of the Truman Waterfront to build an assisted living facility.
What do you think about this situation? We have not yet formed a view, except to say it seems like there are a lot of arguments to be made for the various viewpoints, and likely many viewpoints not yet heard.
One question is why is this now coming alive when the notion of an assisted living facility was in the original plan for the Truman Waterfront? Another is will the citizens of Key West really hold the City Commission to the original plan for the Waterfront or allow various interest groups to modify the plan? Finally, if the plan is to be modified, what are the compelling arguments for doing so? And, what are the biases or hidden agendas of those making the arguments pro or con?
Labels: Assisted Living, politics, Truman Waterfront
posted by Conchette at 2:16 PM
7 Comments:
Where did you get that the assisted living center was part of the original plan. It was not. This came after the land was given to the city. Nothing in the economic granting of this lands mentions anything of an assisted living facility (which is a misnomer for a closeted full market rate development for about 120 units). Anyone with any medical training or experience knows that this place is not for the sick or infirmed. We do not have a fully functioning hospital with well represented specialties available. You better hope that the helicopter is available, and if it is, that you have at least 3-5 hours of survival if you have a stroke, intra cerebral hemorrhage, intrathorasic crisis, or heart attack, to just mention a few. As to the agreement between the city and the federal govt. please look at the city's web site.
The "assisted living center" came before the City Commission at the time after the land was given and the Commission on a narow vote supported the notion of an assisted living faciltiy. So, in one sense, the notion of an assisted living facility has been on the table for some time. The important point is what will happen now.
The point that people miss is that this is not meant to be a nursing home. These people are going to live in their own apartments. All of this came up at the Commission meeting. One is in no more danger at the assisted living facility if you have a crisis than you are anywhere elese in Key west. At least so say the supporters of the facility.
The people who are on the Board of Directors and are planning the assisted living facility are some of the finest people in Key West. They are genuinely concerned about older Key Westers having to move somewhere else when they need "assistance" with living.
An assisted living facility gives people help with meals, medications, cleaning, etc. It's not a nursing home, but it is for people who need help with living when they are older.
Many in Truman Annex are against this facility because they are afraid it's just a ploy for Ed Swift to pull a fast one and make a lot of money at the expense of "more traffic" down Southard Street.
I believe in the good intentions of the Board of this facility.
The discussion at the commission meeting for the assisted living center described an entity resembling a nursing facility in its activity rather that what most of us would call an assisted living facility. Menendez even went so far as describing an Alzheimer's facility. This center is a smoke screen for market rate condo's. The unit numbers of assisted units vs. regular units speaks for itself.
Good intentions maybe, but poor execution. They want the city to give them free land for all these expensive "assisted" homes, and offering as a small carrot a few subsidized units. We can do better.
For the cost of staying in most of those "assisted" homes a current resident could hire a full-time assistant to live in their existing home. Why should we give them a big chunk of our park as an alternative?
There's just no perspective on this that makes sense, other than as a way for the developers to add to their coffers.
"Good intentions?" I'm not buying it. I think this is all about condos, condos, condos. Maybe there's a condo for Ed Swift's aunt in the concept.
At last night's City Commission meeting the FKAAsomething people presented their plan. They spent the first half of their time talking about how important assisted living is without discussing their plan. They obviously know that distracting from the meat of their plan is important.
Once they did start showing details, they rushed through them, often not leaving time to read the details. But a few things were clear: the actual ASSISTED LIVING piece of the property is one small building. The big majority of the property is made up of expensive "Independent Living" units -- i.e., retirement condos with concierge service.
Of course they repeated several times how "without the expensive independent living units we can't afford to provide the (few) assisted living units." And "without the free land we can't afford to provide the assisted living units".
If those statements are true, then we can't afford this assisted living community. We will be giving away far too much (a major portion of our prime waterfront property, meant to provide parks anr recreation for all Key Westers) for such a small return (a handful of assisted living units).
It's clear to me that if this thing gets built as proposed, the only real winners here will be the builders.
Post a Comment
<< Home