06 -039 Email Zoe Senior Retirement Community use group 2013-03-0410/17/2014 City of Northampton Mail - FW: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
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Louis Hasbrouck <lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov>
FW: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
1 message
Thomas McBride <tmcbride@tsomides.com>Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 10:52 AM
To: Louis Hasbrouck <lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov>
Cc: Charles Miller <cmiller@northamptonma.gov>, ctsomides@tsomides.com
Hi Louis:
Thank you for your comments. We respectfully request your review of the following:
· The I-2 use classification doesn’t apply to this Assisted Living Alzheimer’s wing, as Alzheimer’s
residents who do not require skilled nursing care can be accommodated in Assisted Living facilities (which
are considered residential uses):
The state Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the authority promulgating Assisted Living Regulations, includes
dementia / Alzheimer’s residents in their ALF Regulations, as highlighted on the attached document. These
regulations are summarized as follows:
An Assisted Living residence may designate a distinct part of its facility as a Special Care
Residence to address the specialized needs of individuals including those who may need
assistance in directing their own care due to cognitive or other impairments.
Assisted Living Residences …….should be operated and regulated as residential environments
with supportive services and not as medical or nursing facilities, and should support the goal of
aging in place through services, ….. to compensate for the physical or cognitive impairment of
the individual while maximizing his or her dignity and independence.
Training… Staff will be trained ….with at least two hours on the specialized needs of Residents
with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.
If the resident’s needs also require skilled nursing care, then they would be moved to a skilled nursing facility,
such as Linda Manor, which is located next door on the same campus, and provides specialized services for
Alzheimer’s patients. This facility is managed by Berkshire Healthcare, who are also the provider and manager of
services of this Proposed new Assisted Living Facility.
The I-2 classification includes facilities that provide skilled nursing care, which Assisted Living Facilities do not
10/17/2014 City of Northampton Mail - FW: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
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provide. It is the need for skilled nursing care that distinguishes the Assisted Living Facility from the Nursing
home and the R-2 from the I-2 Classification.
Please note that the elder care industry has made creating residential environments for early onset dementia
residents a paramount goal.
Based on the above information, the Alzheimer’s Assisted Living unit should be classified as the same R-2 use
group as the Assisted Living Facility as a whole.
· Regarding the locked unit, it is permitted by Section 1008.1.9.8. It should be noted that the design of
the locked doors’ functioning is such that they are typically unlocked, except when a monitor wearing
resident comes near, when a magnetic lock engages. This lock is disengaged by pressure on the door panic
device, entering a code on a keypad, or if power fails. The “listed hardware” as referred to in this code
section will be the panic device, which meets the 4 criteria indicated. This system will conform to NFPA 101
requirements for delayed egress locking systems.
· Regarding the standpipe system, no portion of building floor area will be more than 400 feet of travel from
the nearest point of fire department vehicle access, as this access is provided around the perimeter of the
entire building.
Please do not hesitate to call or email if you require additional information or clarification, or if you wish to
discuss this further.
Thank you for your attention to this project.
Regards,
Tom
Thomas J. McBride, RA
Associate
Tsomides Associates Architects Planners
389 Elliot St.
Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
tmcbride@tsomides.com
www.tsomides.com
10/17/2014 City of Northampton Mail - FW: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ec5f19a57e&view=pt&q=assisted&qs=true&search=query&th=13d361c3add70593&siml=13d361c3add70593 3/4
617.969.4774
617.969.4793 Fax
From: Louis Hasbrouck [mailto:lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 5:31 PM
To: Thomas McBride
Cc: Charles Miller
Subject: RE: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
Tom,
The one thing that jumps out at me is use classification; I think the Alzheimer unit is an I-2 use (IBC
section 308, IBC section 407, Mass amend 407.1.1). I suspect this makes the building a mixed use and IBC
section 508 comes into play (I don’t think I-2 can be considered an accessory use). There are specific
requirements in IBC sections 7 and 9 for I-2 use. The locked ward aspect brings up IBC section 1008.9.1.
If you agree that the Alzheimer unit is I-2, you should update the code review. If you don’t think I-2 use
applies, let me know why. Mass amendment 407.1.1 references MGL 111 sec 51 and 71; it looks like the
requirement for minimum 1B construction is part of the licensing procedure and may not apply. I’d need specific
information from the licensing agency to determine whether 407.1.1 applies.
I haven’t gotten much past the I-2 question, but nothing else I saw got my attention. I do think it may
be possible to separate the I-2 area without a lot of redesign.
Louis Hasbrouck
Building Commissioner
City of Northampton
Town of Williamsburg
(413) 587-1240
From: Thomas McBride [mailto:tmcbride@tsomides.com]
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2013 1:58 PM
To: lhasbrouck@northamptonma.gov
Subject: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
Hi Louis:
Hope you’re surviving the winter reasonably well. We just wanted to check in to see if you have had a chance to
review the drawings for this project, and if you have any preliminary thoughts or comments?
10/17/2014 City of Northampton Mail - FW: Zoe Senior Retirement Community, Haydenville Road
https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ec5f19a57e&view=pt&q=assisted&qs=true&search=query&th=13d361c3add70593&siml=13d361c3add70593 4/4
Thanks,
Tom
Thomas J. McBride, RA
Associate
Tsomides Associates Architects Planners
389 Elliot St.
Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
tmcbride@tsomides.com
www.tsomides.com
617.969.4774
617.969.4793 Fax
(City of Northampton E-mail is a public record except when it falls under one of the specific
statutory exemptions.)
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