The Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen passed its senior living zoning amendment — an ordinance that will establish a new Senior Living (SL) zoning designation in the city’s zoning laws — at its Oct. 13 meeting. The ordinance has been discussed at three Board of Aldermen meetings. With a few tweaks to the language and other amendments, the ordinance passed with a split 5-3 vote.

The Senior Living District will accommodate assisted living facilities, nursing homes and planned retirement care centers. Previously, senior living facilities were not permitted under any active zoning district in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). This vote amended the 2022 UDO to create the new SL District.

Voting in favor of the amendment were Ward 1 Alderman Brian Fernandez, Ward 2 Alderman Mark Schwarz, Ward 3 Alderman Angie Weigel and both Ward 4 aldermen, Fred Daues and Cathy Friedmann.

Voting in opposition to the amendment were Ward 1 Alderman Natalie Akins, Ward 2 Alderman Marie Davis and Ward 3 Alderman Greg Colombo.

A primary reason for the split vote was the amendment to double the minimum lot size of senior living facilities from five acres to 10 acres. This motion was made by Friedmann. With this amendment, any future senior living facilities that are built in Sunset Hills would be required to build on a piece of land that is 10 acres or larger. Pre-existing senior living facilities that currently operate in the city on land smaller than 10 acres would not be affected by this ordinance.

Daues and Schwarz voiced concerns that senior living developers could move more facilities into residential neighborhoods if the lot minimum stayed at five acres.

“A 10-acre minimum gives us great security that, when and if one of these buildings happens, it won’t happen in a residential area because of the mandate of the square footage,” Daues said in agreement with Friedmann. “The fact there are other edifices that are not 10 acres that are also in this industry, that can be grandfathered, that does not necessarily negate that we control what can happen in the future.”

Meanwhile, aldermen on the opposing side of the vote were concerned about setting a standard of larger facilities within Sunset Hills.

“I actually don’t agree with the 10-acre change, because that means sprawling, megacenter campuses,” Akins said. “It means more residents. It means more employees. It means more traffic. I like the smaller model.”

In the end, the ordinance was passed with the 10-acre lot minimum. Future senior living facility developments would be able to go to the Board of Adjustment if they sought to build their facility on a lot smaller than 10 acres; that decision would not go to the Board of Aldermen.