Middlebury retirement community to get Act 250 permit after appeal

Eastview at Middlebury, a proposed new retirement community in Middlebury, Vermont, received affirmation from the Vermont Supreme Court upholding the Environmental Court’s ruling that their Act 250 land use permit should stand. Eastview at Middlebury (Eastview) plans to build a 101-unit residential retirement community on approximately 40 acres owned by Middlebury College. The project – master planned and designed by Gawron Turgeon Architects in Maine – will be located adjacent to Porter Medical Center and Helen Porter Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center.
"I'm thrilled for Eastview," noted Eastview President Rob Alberts. "We couldn't be working with a better team and this decision takes us a critical step closer to a spring 2010 ground breaking. Our market has persevered with us through a lengthy permit process. It's time to get the shovel in the ground."
Eastview’s retirement community will consist of an Inn with 30+ independent living apartments, as well as residential care and a Sanctuary program for those living with memory loss. In addition, there will be 30 or more cottages in the community. The buildings will integrate green materials for interior finishes and will feature efficient mechanical systems and lighting, and natural landscape features. Construction is anticipated for spring 2010.
Eastview’s design has consistently received unanimous approval from local and state authorities responsible for reviewing and authorizing construction permits. The multi-tiered permitting process has involved review by numerous boards and community members. Early in the process, meetings with the community and future residents were held to discuss site design, orientation, building massing, exterior materials, and color selection. Incorporating feedback, Gawron Turgeon Architects revised its design with the goal of bringing a “sense of place” to Eastview. Inspired by the traditional village green, the design reflects the village green in the preserved wetland vegetation. Building mass studies established unrestricted view corridors and relationships with other homes in the neighborhood. Gables, pitched roofs, and double-hung windows all replicate the local vernacular.
In 2005, with local permit approvals in hand, Eastview filed its Act 250 application with Vermont’s District 9 Environmental Commission. After extensive review of the nine Act 250 Criteria, Eastview received its Land Use Permit in 2006. This decision was contested by one neighbor, requiring a second review of the permit in 2008 by the State’s Environmental Court which upheld the original permit. An appeal of this decision by the same neighbor brought the case before the Vermont Supreme Court which ruled on October 1, 2009 in favor of Eastview.
About Eastview at Middlebury: Eastview at Middlebury is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit retirement community in preconstruction in Middlebury, Vermont. Governed by a local board of directors, Eastview will offer an entry fee system with a 90% refund of this fee when the unit is reoccupied for its independent living cottages and apartments. Their assisted living will be available on a rental basis. A skilled nursing facility and regional hospital next door add to the resources available to support changing needs of Eastview residents as they age. In addition to Gawron Turgeon Architects (Scarborough, Maine), Eastview’s team includes D.E.W. Construction Corp. (Williston, Vermont), Third Age Incorporated (Exton, Pennsylvania), Phelps Engineering (Middlebury, Vermont) and Atlantic Retirement Communities (Newburyport, Massachusetts).
About Gawron Turgeon Architects: Established more than 25 years ago in Scarborough, Gawron Turgeon Architects continues to grow as an award-winning architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and master planning firm. They have a diverse client base and projects ranging from small to multi-million dollar facilities. Projects include: Durgin Pines, new skilled rehabilitation and nursing home recently completed in Kittery; and Avesta’s Florence House a new homeless women’s shelter in Portland currently in design; and St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion, a renovation to the transitional care unit in Lewiston, Maine.
###