Renovations would reduce number of beds, improve facilities
By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com
Preliminary plans for renovations for Crosslands, presents to the Pennsbury Board of Supervisors.
PENNSBURY — Crosslands, long a staple of the township, hopes to make more than a few changes in the coming years, one that should improve the lives of all of its residents, but particularly those in need of some nursing assistance.
The management of the senior citizen community — which is owned and operated by the same group that oversees the Cartmel community, as well as Kendal in Kennett Township — presented its plans for renovation of the facility to the Board of Supervisors Wednesday night, during a special conditional use hearing.
Crosslands’ Executive Director Phil DeBaun outlined changes built around the facility’s skilled nursing and personal care rooms, with very minima impact on the existing 280 independent living cottages and apartments. DeBaun said that the proposed renovations would reduce the overall number of beds, with skilled nursing dropped from 64 to 60, while adding two more personal care beds, going from 49 to 51. The net change would be two less beds.
In addition to changing the numbers, all of the rooms would be completed renovated, and all rooms would become single bed only. Currently, a handful of rooms are semi-private.
The new design would group the rooms into more house-like clusters, and allow meals to be served in the cluster for those patients unable to make it to one of the larger communal dining areas. The personal care rooms would get their own kitchenette, with a small sink, a refrigerator and a microwave, allowing for simple cooking and food preparation in room — and more independence.
“We’d like to improve the quality of life for our residents,” DeBaun said.
The renovations would mean a net increase of about 23,000 square feet to existing buildings and 24 more parking spaces.
Two areas where all Crosslands residents would be expected to benefit from the renovation and expansions would be the construction a new pool, as well as new fitness and wellness center, proposed to have close-in parking, allowing easier access for those unable to walk from the outlying areas of the campus. 16 of the additional parking spaces would be added there.
Supervisors expressed some concerns about the extra paving and the increase of impermeable ground. While the proposal would fall well under the township zoning guidelines of 25 percent, supervisors questioned whether all of the parking was needed or if other options, from permeable pavement to smaller parking spaces could be explored.
The board of supervisors has 45 days to approve or reject the plan as presented, and then the project will need to go through the township’s standard development process.
