Multiple commercial and residential development projects span Goleta, mostly along Hollister Avenue, and among those is a senior assisted-living facility with a $20 million price tag next door to Ellwood Elementary School.
With a scheduled completion of late June 2017, the property for Mariposa at Ellwood Shores will remain in the foundation stage until mid-July, according to Craig Shallanberger, senior project manager.
The project drew a 4-0 vote of approval from the City Council in 2009, and since then Shallanberger has run into regulatory hurdles and conditions of approval from the city. He said working with Goleta’s permitting process has been less fluid compared to projects in Santa Barbara.
Valerie Kushnerov, community relations manager for the City of Goleta, confirmed that the project is under construction despite multiple years since its approval.
The property covers a little less than three acres, and the 84-unit assisted-living facility will feature a common dining area with a full-service kitchen, an activities lounge, a fitness center, a salon, a theater and outdoor living spaces.
The facility will house a memory-care wing to accommodate people with dementia, Shallanberger said.
“We are providing a facility that this community desperately needs,” Shallanberger said. “We have a serious lack of senior care here.”
He said project funding is a combination of private capital, traditional lending and Housing and Urban Development Department-insured private lending. Oliver Dixon and Westmont Construction, a general contractor that specializes in the construction of senior living communities, are partners on the project.
Shallanberger said the location at 7760 Hollister Ave. is desirable for many reasons, but especially since it is close to services the elderly will use.
“The natural park-like setting of Ellwood bluffs was a large factor, as was proximity to the freeway in case of emergency services,” he said.
Shallanberger said the project isn’t classified as a medical facility.
“It’s like renting an apartment,” he said. “These types of facilities are not medical care facilities other than there’s nursing staff in case of an emergency and to help administer medication.”
As of March, more than 700 housing units have been approved to be built in the city, according to the Goleta Panning Commission’s General Plan update. The city encourages development of supportive housing and assisted-living facilities through its zoning regulations, according to Goleta’s General Plan.
According to U.S. Census data, about 34 percent of owner households and 12 percent of renter households in Goleta were headed by someone age 65 or older. Elderly homeowners may be physically unable to maintain their homes or cope with living alone, according to the City of Goleta’s 2015-23 Draft Housing Element.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
