Assisted living proposal does not sit well with some in Paradise Valley

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

Emotions ran high at a recent Paradise Valley planning commission meeting where community members filled the room in opposition of a proposal to reduce occupancy in local assisted living facilities from 10 to six residents.

The proposal also states operators and staff are not to exceed eight people, and would modify the parking associated with the home to be all on-site.

The majority of the people in attendance at the Dec. 2 meeting opposed the proposal, but the seven-member commission was divided and even considered a motion by Commissioner Timothy Dickman to table the item and come back with an alternative proposal. Commissioner Craig Curtis seconded the motion, but it did not carry, 3-4.

Finally, the commission recommended the proposal by a vote of 4-3, sending it to town council for a study session Jan. 8 and regular town council meeting for final approval Jan. 22.

Those who support the reduction in residents do not like the commercial or business character of these homes and say they do not align with the town’s low-density single-family character.

Paradise Valley is 75% residential, and they say the reduction would be more consistent with the town’s General Plan, and would reduce occupancy and parking issues.

However, police say there have been very few noise/parking issues in the last four years on these properties.

On the other side, the opposition says there is great value and need for the small scale senior living homes in Paradise Valley that can keep families in close proximity as their loved ones age. They say that overall, reducing the number of residents will do more harm than good.

Dickman said the proposal is a solution looking for a problem and the concern about density could be solved in other ways.

There have not been any parking or noise issues and people have shared very touching stories about their experiences with these facilities, he said.

“I think the rational for making this change doesn’t seem very good. I don’t really understand it, so it’s hard for me to rally around that,” Dickman said.

Some members of the senior living community were confused as to why the changes were even proposed, and some feared they could have family members evicted from their homes. This was later cleared up as the proposal allows all current facilities with up to 10 residents to be grandfathered in if approved.

Paradise Valley resident Scott O’Connor said there isn’t any public groundswell to make a change.

“I don’t understand why we’re even talking about it. The only commentary defending moving forward with this is to make these homes more like single family housing, but they already are like single family housing,” he said. “The idea that this is somehow different and the occupants are some threat to our single-family lifestyle here makes no sense to me. I just don’t see any reason to move forward with this.”

Valentin Gradinariu, owner of Simply Together Assisted Living Home in Paradise Valley, said he is concerned about the proposed change.

“I understand that every decision (the commission makes) is aimed to preserve the character, safety and well being of Paradise Valley,” Gradinariu said. “But I also believe this particular change will unintentionally harm some of the most vulnerable members of our community — our seniors.”

In recent months, town staff has been in the process cleaning up the zoning ordinance. It was during this process, and in looking at the ordinance, that a council member requested the reduction of residents, according to staff.

Councilor Julie Pace, who spoke as an audience member at the meeting, said residents do not want an expansion of businesses in Paradise Valley.

“We go through this every few years,” Pace said. “Our residents do not want expansion of businesses. They want to reduce this, and they’ve come forward with that. The reason this has come forward is the number of complaints, and the vote that occurred for the general plan by the majority of our residents to reduce these businesses in Paradise Valley.”

The median age in Paradise Valley is 55.5, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town’s website states that in 2010, 23% of the population was 65 or older. The most recent census tally shows that at about 30%, and that nearly 25% of the town is 70 or older.

Scott Turner, whose mom is a resident of Mountain View Residential Assisted Living in Paradise Valley, said those numbers show assistance is increasingly needed.

He added that while states and the federal government are trying to increase housing and affordability, this proposed ordinance heads in the opposite direction.

“The town of Paradise Valley has a choice. It can continue to ensure access to safe convenient housing for its aging population as they require more assistance, or it can limit capacity, increase costs, and force an increasing number of residents to leave Paradise Valley to get the assisted living they need,” Turner said.

There are 12 existing assisted living homes in Paradise Valley and one that is under construction.

Resident Daran Wastchak said the one under construction is next to his home.

He said he had no notice and wasn’t given a choice, and has concerns it will affect this property value.

He asked if a prospective home buyer would choose his home, “with an assisted living facility next door, or are they going to choose the one that is just like mine, but without that commercial use? I’m a Nimby, I’ll admit it. But I would prefer if it were a facility of six. That would be my choice.”

Leslie Froeb Turner said she and her husband spent a long time looking for an assisted living home for their mother and found one in Paradise Valley. Froeb Turner said their mother has been doing much better since then, living in a home with structure and being in relationships with other residents.

“Airbnb and Vrbos are a lot more of a problem, in my opinion, than these group homes. I have never seen people parking on the street where my mother-in-law lives,” she said. “I’m glad you’re going to grandfather the homes in and not evict them because a lot of these people do not have a voice for themselves to fight for themselves.”

Senior News Editor Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on X @philiphaldiman. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@inusua.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.