Landmark Senior Living in Fall River plans 33-unit expansion

FALL RIVER — Landmark Senior Living is seeking the city’s approval to construct a new wing of its Columbia Street facility that would add another 33 units of living space for tenants, the majority of which would be reserved for so-called "memory care" occupants.

The proposal is requesting the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals to approve the expansion by granting a zoning variance for the property’s setback requirements and to issue a special permit to expand the site’s already non-conforming use.

The existing three-story building on the property formerly operated as a hotel before being converted into assisted senior housing in the late 1990s. The proposed two-story addition would add 33 new units and would be built on top of existing parking areas running alongside Pearl and Columbia streets.

According to the site plan, a total of 20 existing parking spaces would have to be removed to make room for the new structure. Another 24 new spaces would be added to the site during construction, 16 of which would be located beneath a portion of the new wing. A new driveway onto Pearl Street would also be added.

In a petition Landmark recently filed with the zoning board, Peter Saulino, an attorney representing the assisted living facility, described the majority of the new units as being devoted to “memory care” occupants.

Saulino also noted that the expansion would not be a detriment to the surrounding neighborhood “because it is a use that has been at the site for over 20 years without issue. Furthermore, of the 33 new units proposed, 24 are so-called Memory Care Units, which means that patients are unable to drive and none of the 33 residents are anticipated to be of any acuity level to own or operate a vehicle.”

In past years, Landmark Senior Living has gone before the zoning board seeking the necessary approvals required for expanding the facility.

Approval to create seven new housing units was granted to Landmark by board members in 2001, but under the condition that the work had to be done in a way that would not require “exterior expansion of the building.”

Landmark Senior Living opened in Fall River in 1997 and offers 24-hour care to its residents. Units consist of studio and one-bedroom apartments.

In addition to its Fall River location, Landmark also operates facilities in Boston, Beverly and West Springfield. The company also has a location in New Mexico.

Landmark Senior Living's application will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals Feb. 20.