SACKVILLE, N.B. — John Lafford hopes to break ground on a new large-scale seniors housing development for Sackville in 2020.
The final step in the rezoning process was approved by town council last week, opening the door for the development to proceed. However, there is one more loophole to go through, according to Lafford.
“The starting point is when the road gets built,” said the Sackville developer. “Before we do anything, we need a road to it.”
The development, which is being proposed for an area in behind Wright Street and Fawcett Avenue, is anticipated to include a series of row houses as well as a private senior care facility. Lafford has referred to the proposal as a “village within or a village, a sort of retirement community in a campus-like setting.”
Lafford said this 22-acre development would be done in several phases over a period of about seven to 10 years.
“It’s going to be a great project,” said Lafford. “It’s a big piece of land and a big development.”
In the first phase, the plan is to build between 24 to 30 “garden homes,” similar to the ones his company Lafford Realty has already built on King Street and Waterfowl Lane. The one key difference, he said, will be the ability to allow for more green space and gardens, thanks to the large swath of land the development is being built on. It will also allow for a greater diversity of units, with the possibility of smaller or larger homes, depending on the market demand.
“Ultimately you build for the need,” said Lafford, noting there may be a desire for smaller, more affordable units or for larger, higher-end row houses.
The second phase will include construction of a senior care facility, which would be run by a private operator and would include the necessary staff, resources and amenities for dependent living, said Lafford. The third phase, which could be done at the same time as the second, depending on the level of demand, would be doubling the number of row house units.
Lafford said he is excited about being able to provide housing for the 55-plus population as the town also continues to boost its marketing towards the retirement market. He said in order to keep anchors such as the hospital and the university in Sackville, “we need to grow our population base.”
Lafford said he hopes to be able to partner with the town on development of the new public road.
“The sooner the road gets there, the sooner it can start.”
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