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Senior complex could be a year away By SUSAN JAY EAGLE POINT -- Seniors in the upper Rogue Valley could have a new 60-unit housing complex within walking distance of the post office, library and senior center as soon as next December. Local developer Dave Freel and senior care and housing company Generations L.L.C., have plans for a 37,000-square-foot, $4 million licensed assisted-living facility for seniors. It would be situated on Loto, Platt and Kelso streets in Eagle Point. "This is not a done deal at all," Freel, 50, said. But he is very close. He has two more steps to complete with the city before final approval. He is scheduled to go before the City Council Dec. 8 on a street vacation application, and before the planning commission on Dec. 15 for approval of the project's site plan. If the street vacation is approved, Freel and Generations would have enough land to build an urgent care or doctors clinic on the site. "The nice thing about it," said City Administrator David Hussell, "is that regardless of whether the council decides to keep the street or not, Mr. Freel can develop an assisted care facility." Freel said a medical clinic would be an ideal service next to a senior housing complex, and would provide a needed service in the community, which doesn't have an urgent care clinic. Freel, a former rancher, contractor and outdoor guide from Idaho, purchased the property in 1993. He applied to the city and received a zone change from commercial to multi-residential in 1994, to build the senior project. Freel developed the subdivision plat for Blue Bird Heights in Central Point, and is the developer of Clear Sky Estates in White City. Generations, which is headquartered in Portland, would manage the center and own 30 percent of the facility. Freel would supply the financing and be a 70-percent owner. Generations owns and operates the Skylark in Ashland and Alderwood in Central Point, both licensed assisted-living centers. The company is also building a center in Medford in partnership with Providence Medford Medical Center, which is expected to be completed in January. The need is great for such a facility in the Eagle Point upper Rogue area, said Todd Woollard, regional administrator for Generations. Generations hired a national census tracking company, which conducted a demographic study of the area and found that the senior population in Eagle Point and the surrounding towns to be 13 percent of the total population. As a licensed assisted-living center, The complex would offer its residents help in daily living activities, including dressing, bathing and medication. It would accept Medicaid eligible seniors, as well as private paying seniors. For non-Medicaid seniors, rent would range from $1,500 for the studios to $1,700 to $1,800 for a one bedroom. That amount would include meals, house cleaning, laundry and utilities. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA