Mentor Approves Plan for Newell Creek Homes & Nursing Facility

• The 99-unit skilled nursing facility has been shifted about 250 feet to the east on the north side of Norton, between Sterling Court and Avery Dennison. This modification was made in response to Garfield Road residents who expressed concerns about the height and view of the facility from their properties.

• The developer must return to the planning commission and city council if construction does not begin within four years.

• The company wants to develop a maximum of 164 detached, 60- and 70-foot single-family homes. The previous figure was 139.

"From a subdivision standpoint, we would probably start this some time next year," said developer Sam Petros of Petros Homes and NCP Westerly LLC.

As for the nursing facility, Dave Mitchell, an attorney representing LTC Realty, future owner of home, is confident that the four-year window will be enough time.

"There is an extensive (Certificate of Need) process that we have to go through before we would even consider putting a shovel in the ground," Mitchell said. "Assuming that process goes on without an appeal, the minimum amount of time that takes once the application is filed is six months. If there is an appeal by a competitor, for an example, that appeal could drag on for two, two and a half years.

"You're really in a situation where we don't have control over the time from there, but four years, hopefully, God bless, would be a sufficient amount of time."