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I need to state, upfront, that I'm the Community Relations Director with the Aspen Ridge Retirement Community in Bend. One of my primary responsibilities is to attract and retain residents. So one would logically think that I wouldn't be in favor of a Sisters-based retirement community, competition that would pull potential residents away from Aspen Ridge.
But I am. Sisters needs a retirement community, one that provides lifestyle accomodations for seniors (over 55) - and neither politics nor funding should get in the way.
I've lived in Sisters for the past 17 years. My wife and I chose this town over Redmond and Prineville (even though they were closer to family) for the quality of the school system, the small town ambience and safety, and the outdoor recreation opportunities. My new job was also located here - but that was at a time when the town was successfully attracting employers with living wage jobs. (Attracting employers is harder now...but thankfully there is new energy behind it.)
We raised our two children here. God-willing, our plans are to stay for as long as we can afford to, hopefully to see our children return (with their children) to live and prosper in this beautiful place we call "Sisters Country."
We're in our mid-to-late fifties. In good physical shape compared to others of our generation - but clearly starting to feel the accelerating aging process.
As the reality of aging sets in for my wife and me, it's also setting in for many others of our generation, people who moved here for the same reasons, folks who feel their health will never decline to a point where they need "assistance." But we all will, whether it's from a family caregiver or a retirement community.
Let's face it, Sisters can be a challenge for "seniors" (over fifty-five.) There's no 24/7 medical facility, no real senior center (a gathering place for meals, social activities, continuing education, bus transportation, etc.) and no senior living facility where the lifestyle needs and desires of seniors can be fulfilled.
Over the past seventeen years I've seen many seniors move to Sisters, only to see them eventually leave for living situations and/or retirement communities in surrounding towns.
From a purely economic development perspective this is crazy. These people initially invested in Sisters, attracted their extended families to Sisters, then pulled up stakes because the town could no longer meet their physical and/or social needs. This cycle of attraction and lack of retention will continue unless we, as a community, pull together and work toward a well thought-out solution.
I work very closely with seniors (and their adult children) at Aspen Ridge in Bend. Recently I've counseled several Sisters-based residents. I've heard people lament the fact that, while Sisters is the ultimate place to retire, it has no strong support system for seniors. Bend, of course, has a variety of resources. The Bend Senior Center, St. Charles Hospital, and many retirement communities offer everything from independent to assisted to memory care living situations.
Here's a dose of demographic reality. In 2011 the first wave of "baby boomers" (born between 1946 and 1964) will be hitting 65. Experts predict that the demands on both assisted living and "memory care" facilities (Alzheimer's/Dimentia care) will increase dramatically over the next ten years.
Sisters is not ready for this. We are going to lose these potential residents, as well as the additional tax revenue, jobs, and retail sales benefits of a retirement community, to Bend and Redmond.
Some people, of course, will say that Sisters' need for affordable housing is more important than a retirement community. I beg to differ. Ask any realtor in town these days "who is inquiring about Sisters Country homes and property?" - I bet a majority are fifty-five and older. These are people who become devoted to a community, keep their business local and do not disturb the peace.
And these are the very people who attract other residents. I see it every day at Aspen Ridge in Bend. When I ask "how did you find out about Aspen Ridge?" more often than not it was word-of-mouth from an existing resident. Same goes for Sisters. Our "brand" is strong now, and our event calendar so full, that filling a retirement community (and fully utilizing a nearby community center) will be very easy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Adolf recently. Mark is the developer behind the proposed Sisters retirement community next to the McKenzie Meadows subdivision. He has many years of experience developing retirement communities around the country. The guy knows what he's doing - as evidenced by his detailed reasons for the design of the proposed Sisters community.
Although Mark and his wife live in Washington state, he's very close to the Sisters community though both friendships and business dealings. Having seen many "entrepreneurs" come and go (mostly go) over the years here in Sisters, I was wary of Mark initially. After spending a couple of hours with him it's clear both his head and heart are in the right place regarding a Sisters retirement community.
So what's the problem? Funding and, to a certain extent, politics. Retirement communities are not inexpensive to build and, with the price of land in our industrial parkway still out-of-sight, building within the UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) doesn't pencil-out. Our city leaders would love to be able to offer the newly-enacted "incentive package" to Adolf - but the land has to be within the UGB.
Enter the visionary owners of land next to the McKenzie Meadows subdivision. With a clear understanding of demographic trends and businesses that fit our "Vision Statement," the owners have offered the needed land at a price that will pencil-out for Adolf.
Everything would appear to be falling in place, correct? Well, sort of. The city council appears to be getting closer to bringing the land into the UGB. A major hurdle seemingly overcome by a more economic development-oriented 2009 city council.
Funding is the big issue now. Let me explain. Funding for new retirement community buildings typically comes from large, corporate-owned retirement companies or from a few private investors. With private investment the community is typically then "managed" by a professional retirement company. (This is the case with Aspen Ridge.)
Adolf's proposed community would be slightly different. Understanding that "local owners/investors" are better than "absentee owners," Mark has been trying to find interested Sisters Country residents. People like my wife and me who are looking "down the aging road," wondering what the best senior living situation will be for us.
But here's the rub. We're still in a difficult recession, local people's investments have fallen through the floor, and recently many potential Sisters investors speculated on the creation of a new bank (Crown Point) - only to see it fall apart following a long investment-seeking process.
Local investors are holding their money close to their belts.
The need for a Sisters-based retirement community will continue to grow.
The huge "bell curve" of soon-to-be sixty-five year-olds will not disappear. They will be looking for the "ideal" lifestyle community, one that fits their active lifestyle. And we all know that Sisters fits that bill perfectly.
Let's not lose these potential residents to surrounding towns. Seniors (and soon-to-be seniors) need to make their voices heard. You can do this by attending city council meetings, writing your city leaders, even suggesting potential investors who might be interested in making a retirement community a reality.
I'd be happy to provide direction and advice about making your voice heard. Just give me a holler!
