The Prescott Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of a conditional use permit and site plan for a proposed assisted living facility at 445 Court St. during its July 8 meeting, advancing a project that has been under discussion for several years.

The development, proposed by Prescott Properties LLC and Nottingham Construction, would bring a 59-unit assisted living facility with 67 bedrooms to the 2.24-acre vacant site, formerly occupied by a sanatorium and later a daycare center before the building was demolished.

City Planner Luke Wiese, who presented the proposal, said the revised plans addressed concerns raised by the commission when an earlier concept was reviewed in August 2025. Changes include additional parking, updated stormwater management and modifications to the unit mix.

The proposed three-story building would stand 34 feet tall, meeting the city's 35-foot height limit, and would occupy approximately 25 percent of the site. Total impervious surface coverage would remain below the city's 70 percent maximum.

Parking was one of the major revisions to the plan. The original proposal was expanded to include 80 parking spaces, including accessible stalls and 18 underground spaces, exceeding the city's requirement of 67 parking spaces based on the number of bedrooms.

The landscaping plan also exceeds city requirements, calling for 36 trees and 182 shrubs where zoning ordinances require 22 trees and 132 shrubs.

Most of the public discussion centered on stormwater drainage, with residents of the neighboring Peacock Ridge development expressing concerns about flooding that has affected their property in the past.

Charlie Evenson, representing the Peacock Ridge Homeowners Association, questioned how much runoff from the new development would continue flowing toward the existing drainage system.

Greg Johnson of Nottingham Construction and Hearth Development said the redesigned plans include an underground stormwater detention system beneath the parking lot that will collect runoff from much of the property before releasing it at a controlled rate into the city's storm sewer on Oak Street.

Johnson acknowledged the project would not eliminate all runoff reaching neighboring properties but said it would reduce the amount compared to existing conditions.

"We're taking half of the water that's draining in there right now and we're pushing it to Oak Street," Johnson explained, adding that the facility would also have on-site maintenance staff to monitor and maintain the drainage system.

Another Peacock Ridge resident asked about landscaping along the shared property line and the removal of mature trees. Johnson said new landscaping would be installed and emphasized the developer's commitment to maintaining the property.

"We have a vested interest in this looking nice," Johnson said. "We have a vested interest in that wall not failing and all those things just like you guys do. We’re local. We’re interested in how this thing looks and taking care of the people in there.” He added, “We’re a great neighbor and I think cleaning this up and getting this up is going to be a real asset to the community.”

City staff also reviewed utility capacity as part of the application.

According to the staff report, the facility is expected to use approximately 4,543 gallons of water and sewer service per day. Even with that increase, Prescott's average daily water use would remain well below the city's available treatment capacity, and wastewater flows would also remain within the treatment plant's limits.

The development will replace the existing 2-inch water and sewer connections with new 6-inch connections.

Prescott resident Mike Most also asked about the type of housing being proposed, mentioning that at the meeting last fall, it was described as senior housing and assisted living. “What changed?”

“Nothing really. Assisted living is just a title,” Johnson answered.

He explained the facility will provide a continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living and memory care services.

"We will have independent living, we'll have assisted living, and we will have some memory care," he said. "We call it a continuum so people can move in and not need services."

The facility will be privately owned, with management provided by the same third-party operator that oversees a similar senior living facility in Ellsworth.

Construction could begin as early as this fall if approvals are completed, Johnson said, although work may not begin until Spring 2027 depending on project timing.

Following the public hearing, the Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of both the conditional use permit and the site plan. The proposals now move to the Prescott Common Council for final consideration.

The commission also unanimously approved a certified survey map adjusting lot lines between properties at 501 Sunset Court and 1201 Pearl St.

Property owner Ed Lucas was asked by the Plan Commission why this was requested. He explained, “Probably the big thing is we don’t want anybody building next to us. And secondly there are some issues with runoff off of Sunset Court and it attaches to my property, and I want to take care of that as well.”

He added that the adjustment would expand his lot to provide additional room for driveway improvements and additions and stormwater management while preventing future residential development on the adjacent parcel.

Aug. 3 public hearing

Commission members also voted to schedule a public hearing for Aug. 3 on several proposed zoning ordinance amendments.

Among the proposed changes are removing large-scale solar farms as conditional uses in several zoning districts, eliminating airports and railroad facilities as conditional uses in industrial districts, and allowing accessory dwelling units as conditional uses in the R-5 residential district.

Commission members also agreed to include housekeeping amendments to bring accessory building regulations into consistency across the city's residential zoning code.

The next meeting of the Prescott Plan Commission is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3.