NORTH MANCHESTER - Plans are in the works for improvements and additions at Peabody Retirement Home, North Manchester.

The retirement home recently purchased 92 acres west of its campus, extending to Beckley Street. They also recently purchased four homes along Ninth Street.

The retirement community will undergo remodeling, some rebuilding and construction of new buildings in the future. Plans at this point are tentative and a time frame is not yet available.

Dereck Frederickson, Engineering Resources, Fort Wayne, represented Peabody Home at Monday's North Manchester Plan Commission meeting. He presented a preliminary plat for their main campus as a planned unit development.

Frederickson said the proposal includes adding sidewalks along Ninth and Beckley streets to accommodate pedestrians and adding an underground detention system to absorb stormwater.

Jim Ransomer, executive director for Peabody Retirement Community, said they will be able to accommodate 18 fewer residents with the improvements.

"When it's all said and done," Ransomer said, "we're going to have a product to offer older persons that you're really not going to find in the state or surrounding states."

He also said they are hoping to draw people from outside the community to Peabody Home.

Tentative additions include a warm-water therapy pool, an arts and education center, a fitness center, a small deli, office space, a rehabilitation center and a physician's clinic. The warm-water therapy pool, fitness center and rehabilitation center will be available to the outside community, not just to Peabody residents, Ransomer said.

"We would like to build an independent living area there," Ransomer said of the newly purchased land. But, he said, in a couple of months, they would know if the plan is "financially feasible."

Ransomer also said they would like to draw a younger crowd to Peabody Home, but, with the improvements creating 18 fewer spots for residents, he wasn't sure how that would match up.

"It's important to understand that it's a tentative plan," Ransomer said.

The homes on Ninth Street, recently purchased by Peabody, will be removed one by one. "All four will not be completely gone - I don't even think this year," Ransomer said. Grass will be planted where the houses had been.

Frederickson said he's been in contact with Police Chief Jack Fetrow regarding fire truck access, and also said there are 207 parking spaces available at Peabody. Only 168 are required.

Plan Commission members approved the preliminary plat as a planned unit development subject to drainage final approval, which was scheduled to take place Tuesday.

Frederickson and Ransomer will come back to the Plan Commission for final approval at next month's meeting.

In other business:

• Bill Hix was elected president and Brad Yoder was elected vice president for 2001. Hix and Yoder held the same offices for 2000.

• Robert Woods, working with The Greg Thomas Corp., requested a parcel of land at 300 S. River Road, North Manchester, be rezoned from R-1 to R-4 "in hopes to put a duplex in across from the school (Manchester Elementary)."

Woods owns the parcel and said in the past several trailers occupied the area. Currently, the parcel is empty - only grass. Adjacent property to the parcel is already zoned R-4 (multi-family), Woods said.

Plan commission members approved Woods' request. They will recommend rezoning of the parcel to the town council Feb. 8. At that time, Woods will present an ordinance to council members.

• Town manager Dan Hannaford introduced Jack Ferguson to board members as the new building commission to replace Bernie Ferringer. Ferringer's final day as building commissioner before retiring is not yet set.

The North Manchester Plan Commission comprises: president Bill Hix, vice president Brad Yoder, James Garman, Dennis Ayres, Charles Tiede, Homer Hoover, Joanna Strode, Noah Smith and Laura Rager. Town manager is Dan Hannaford and building commissioner is Bernie Ferringer. [[In-content Ad]]