This is a Good Site for a Senior Care Community
At 2.5 acres, the Genevieve Street site is large enough to locate a building that can adequately provide the services, amenities and the number of units necessary to provide a quality environment. In a built-out community such as Solana Beach, a vacant 2.5-acre site is hard to find. Assisted living at the edge of a residential neighborhood provides a buffer between office and commercial uses to the north and the freeway to the west. It provides a nice, safe neighborhood for the ambulatory residents to walk in. The Genevieve Street site is highly visible and provides an appropriate gateway for northbound commuters on Interstate 5. It is close to shopping, medical offices, a theater and other amenities. There are several hospitals nearby including Scripps Encinitas which is 5 miles away. The site has been vacant for years and is unsightly. Because of its proximity to the freeway and a large office building, the property is unattractive for single family homes.
Few, if any, sites in Solana Beach can support this kind of facility. At this time, we are not aware of any lots of this size in Solana Beach that are available and developable.
This Project Enhances the Neighborhood
The project is planned for vacant property adjacent to northbound Interstate 5. An assisted-living facility would provide a compatible and logical transition among the neighboring buildings. It would also provide a valuable noise buffer between existing homes and the freeway. The roof would block noise and sightlines to the freeway but would not obstruct horizon views.
As an added benefit, and to preserve the rural character of the neighborhood, site plans call for landscaping the Marine View Avenue frontage as open space. The project would be designed to blend with nearby properties and maintain the rural feel of the neighborhood. It would not create a substantial traffic increase as most of its residents don’t drive, but would provide street improvements along the project frontage, including a public pathway along Marine View Avenue.
Another Housing Option
Solana Beach Senior Care envisions housing for elderly community members who need additional care to support their daily activities. This housing option allows them to move out of homes that are difficult to manage -- and potentially unsafe -- but stay in their community. This frees up those homes for new residents and adds to the Solana Beach’s inventory of housing stock with a product that is very much in need.
With Solana Beach’s aging population, the demand for quality residential care facilities is only going to grow. Residents of Solana Beach want the opportunity, for themselves and their loved ones, to remain in their community after they can no longer live independently.
