Seniors Housing Business is the magazine that helps you navigate the evolution of the seniors housing industry.
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54 www.seniorshousingbusiness.com Seniors Housing Business n February/March 2017 Your Trusted Partner in Facilities Maintenance Reputations are built on Merit. www.meritservicesolutions.com info@meritservicesolutions.com 610-908-4627 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE • Mowing, Trimming, Edging • Seasonal Clean Ups • Tree & Shrub Pruning • Mulch Installation • Turf Maintenance • Irrigation Maintenance SITE ENHANCEMENTS • Landscape Design & Removal • Capital Improvements • Concrete, Asphalt, & Masonry • On Demand Services SNOW & ICE REMOVAL • Snow Plowing • Shoveling • Deicing • Snow Relocation/Hauling • Rooftop Cleaning sus Bureau. Ask Chapman today how many trees are on that site, and he can tell you there are exactly 4,400. "And we know this because we had to tag and number every sin- gle tree," says Chapman. He recalls the day the develop- ment team first showed up on site to meet with a landscape archi- tect who had inside knowledge of the local community. Chapman explained the plan for a deten- tion pond in front of the build- ing, which would have required cutting down a large number of trees. "The landscape architect said, 'Well, you're dead on arrival. You might as well go home. You'll never get that approved.' So we pledged we'd figure out how to handle the [water] runoff with- out disturbing the trees in front. West Lake Hills has even tougher tree ordinances than the city of Austin." The result was a win-win, says Chapman. The property today provides a tranquil, resort-like vibe because the building had to be pushed back to preserve a landscape buffer in front. Even during construction, ingress and egress roads were built carefully to disturb as few trees as possible, and neighbors monitored con- struction closely to ensure crews were careful with trees. Chapman says Belmont Vil- lage takes a low-key, high-touch approach to winning community support. There is no big PR cam- paign or social media messag- ing involved. Rather, it is usually Chapman himself or Belmont's development manager who knocks on the doors of all the neighbors contiguous to a new site. He also takes the initiative to get on the docket of neighbor- hood associations, generally with- out those groups asking first, as a way of introduction. A meeting at one neighbor 's house, in fact, led Belmont to tweak its lighting design in West Lake Hills. A few neighbors wanted the new community to comply with Dark Sky proto- cols, even though they weren't required by code. This meant installing recessed exterior light- ing fixtures that minimize light pollution. "We assured them we'd be glad to address that," recalls Chapman. "I don't think anyone had ever asked us about that before. We try very hard in our neighborhood outreach to listen to specific con- cerns of people. It is an ongoing effort. It's not just something you do during development. We con- tinue to remain active in neigh- borhood associations long after our communities open." n Local residents were welcomed with champagne toasts and tours of the Bright Oaks community in Aurora, Ill., when it opened in February 2016.