A Madison-based developer plans to build a four-story, 75-unit senior housing development on Bluemound Road in Elm Grove.
Horizon Development Group Inc. plans to build the apartments, known as Elm Grove Heights, at 13040 W. Bluemound Road. The independent senior living community would function like a traditional apartment building and would provide neither meals nor medical services to the residents, although units would only be rented to those 62 or older.
Philip Schultz, managing partner with Horizon, said there is a clear need for senior housing in the community since roughly 31 percent of its residents are over the age of 65.
“Many of those folks are living in single-family homes that they may want to sell, but there is no other independent senior housing for those folks to move into,” he said.
Horizon originally submitted the plans to Elm Grove in June, but village officials at the time determined current zoning code could not accommodate the project on the proposed site. In response, the village board passed a new zoning ordinance in November that would allow for the development and similar independent senior housing.
Plans were then brought back to the village Plan Commission on Monday. Commission members gave their preliminary approval, moving the proposal to the Building Board, said Tom Harrigan, Elm Grove zoning and planning administrator.
The Building Board will make recommendations on things like building materials and landscaping, and depending on those recommendations the plans could be sent back to the Plan Commission for another round of approvals before heading to the village board, Harrigan said.
Assuming the project receives necessary approvals, Horizon plans to start construction this summer with an expected opening of summer 2020.
Horizon has developed and manages other senior housing projects in the area, including in Milwaukee, Greenfield and Burlington.
