Ark Valley News - Wish list

Mennonite Housing president Byron Adrian (second from left) is joined by state and local officials during the groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 6 at Sunflower Gardens.

Wish list
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: December 21, 2017

Development grows to meet demand for senior housing

They won't be done until next fall, and there's already a waiting list.

Mennonite Housing, which owns and operates the city's only age-specific residential development, is expanding the Sunflower Gardens campus in the 400 block of North Emporia in response to a growing need for independent living senior housing.

Sunflower Gardens' third phase of construction, which started with a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 6, will include 28 additional apartments, bringing the number of residential units to 70.

“Once we started talking about adding this phase, it did not take long for us to add additional names to the wait list," said Byron Adrian, Mennonite Housing president and CEO. “It goes to show there's really good demand here in Valley Center, and we're very excited about this additional phase."

Fred Bentley, director of rental housing development for the Kansas Housing Resources Corp., which provided low-income housing tax creditors for the project, said the wait list has about 40 people.

“There's an ongoing need for this type of housing, and we're just happy to be a part of this," Bentley said.

Adrian said the waiting list usually has between 20 and 30 names.

Though they experience some turnover, the existing units at Sunflower Gardens are rarely empty. State and federal tax credits allow Sunflower Gardens to keep rent low.

The City of Valley Center also made some concessions for Sunflower Gardens with regard to water meters, allowing the development to have fewer of them. The same arrangement was in place for the development's second phase, which cut down on Mennonite Housing's expenses.

“We can accomplish so much when we're working together," said Sherdeill Breathett Sr., chairman of the Mennonite Housing Board of Directors. “… It's really a blessing. We're excited and looking forward to great things being established."

Six of the new units will be one-bedroom apartments, while the remainder will have two bedrooms. Plans call for the construction of eight new buildings. Seven will include apartments, while the eighth will be a maintenance facility with a storm shelter.

The current facilities include three six-plexes of two-bedroom apartments and a main building with 20 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments.

Mayor Laurie Dove said the city needs senior-specific housing.

“A couple of years ago, we put together a strategic plan and we asked for widespread input from the community," she said. “… From that, we identified specific things that we want to accomplish, and one of them was a project just like this. So we are thrilled to be at this groundbreaking today because we recognize how important it is for people to be able to age in their communities. You can retain the connections you've made with your church and your friends and your family. We have a lot of older adults who volunteer and are very active. And we recognize that's an important resource for our community. So, the ability to able to retain those valued members is an extraordinary feat."

Dove said the focus on expanded housing options is just a piece of Valley Center's puzzle.

“We have done more in the last three years than we have done in probably the last 20. That really speaks to the way that city council and staff have been able to work together," she said. “… Valley Center knows how to grow and it knows how to grow with respect to its past. If you go to our historic downtown, you'll find that it is full of businesses. There's not a space available, and that has all happened within about the last year. And we have a number of other thriving businesses in our community that feed into that as well. In a few months, we'll complete a community center and a library that's designed to be a gathering place for people of all ages, for them to connect and learn and discover. And really, that's what Valley Center is about."

Dove said Mennonite Housing has been a good partner.

“I have a great love for this community and for the people in it, and anything we can do as an organization with our city council and our incredibly professional staff to support the people in our community, that's what we're going to do," Dove said. “I'm very excited about it."

Patio home-style developments are scarce in Valley Center.

The most recent addition to the Valley Creek neighborhood, which is on the city's west side, included duplexes and triplexes with yard work included. While not a requirement, retired couples have purchased many of the homes.