Developer plans senior living center
By KAREN MIKOLS
In less than a year, developer Wes Bainter plans to break ground in Hays for a new senior living center.
"It seemed there wasn't any housing that addressed the in-between need of 'I can't stay in my own house anymore, but I don't want to go to assisted living or care facilities,' " Bainter, Hoxie, said during an address to the AARP meeting Wednesday. "What I saw was people going to long-term care because they need a little bit of help. But there was not handicap-accessible apartments available where they could maintain their independent living."
The proposed center, Ellis Estates Apartments, would be located on East 33rd Street.
"People much prefer a two-bedroom apartment," Bainter said of the 1,300-square-foot apartments. "It's tough enough to leave your house and go to an apartment and downsize, but to a small apartment."
Each bedroom has a full bathroom, which will be handicap accessible.
The apartments tentatively are planned in three phases. Phase one would include 18 apartments, with attached garages and indoor corridors to the garages.
"We all understand the care gets to the level where it needs to be a care facility, but there are often several years where a person needs a little help and can maintain independent living and live in their own apartment," Bainter said.
He built similar complexes in Hoxie and Hill City, with a third under construction in Smith Center. Jim Warren is assisting Bainter with the project in Hays.
"The other thing we enjoy about the apartments is because they're independent, when someone needs a little care, they can employ anyone they want to come in and take care of them," Bainter said.
The facility is not intended to provide full service, rather allow seniors the chance to continue to live independently. But Bainter said one important aspect of the facility will be noon meals on weekdays.
"Noon meals are absolutely essential," Bainter said. "If we live by ourself or if we're a man and haven't cooked during our lifetime and our wife is gone, if we don't cook, we don't eat. And the health decline of people who don't eat is amazing. So that noon meal is essential."
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The crowd of more than four dozen seniors peppered Bainter with questions.
Are all bathrooms handicap accessible?
"Yes," Bainter said. "All of them have roll-in showers and adjustable shower heads."
Is there a storm shelter ?
"We have an above-ground storm shelter with restroom and cable," Bainter said. "That room is all reinforced concrete."
Can we have pets?
"We allow pets, but I don't know how big," Bainter said. "Hopefully not a horse."
Is smoking allowed?
"It's totally non-smoking within 50 feet of the building," Bainter said.
Are the apartments soundproof?
"Very soundproof," Bainter said.
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Another aspect of the Hays project Bainter said he would like to include is a wind generator.
"As we look down the line, the residential 5- to 15-kilowatt wind generators need to happen," he said. "It's another way we can keep affordability and quality of life
"In my personal opinion, the wind energy is renewable, is not noisy or dirty and to have 40-foot towers in residential area, I don't see that as a big deal. We used to have 40-foot TV towers by each house before we had cable TV. We didn't complain about TV towers because we wanted to watch TV. Now, I think if we want to turn the lights on we might have to have a wind generator."
Currently, the city has a moratorium on wind development within the city limits and 3 miles surrounding the city. The moratorium is so the city can develop regulations regarding wind towers.
"In Smith Center, we're looking at wind generators up there," Bainter said.
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Also in Smith Center, Bainter said the apartments pre-rented like hot cakes.
"We went to rent 8 a.m. Monday morning, and by 10 a.m they were rented," he said.
Sitting in the back of the audience, Mat Murphy and Genie Uhrich agreed the apartments probably would be snatched up quickly.
"I know so many people in town who would benefit from this," Murphy said. "I think it's a good idea."
For Uhrich, she is excited to see the attached garages, which are rented for an additional $100 per month.
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For Bainter, the additional projects in Hill City, Smith Center and Hays were not part of his original plan when he broke ground on the Hoxie project. But the requests kept pouring in, so he continues to develop the apartments.
"We don't have all the answers, but we have projects that serve the needs of people," he said. "Any time we can keep people out of assisted living longer, that's something good."
