Plains residents look for senior housing fix

A group of Plains residents are looking to find housing solutions for local seniors. The group expressed their concerns and needs at a meeting facilitated by Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) last month with Sanders County Commissioners.

The Plains group says they have already met with Mayor Dan Rowan and the town’s city council about the project, saying they were interested and know the need is in the community. The group envisions the project as a low-maintenance complex of about 30 units for those 55 and older. The project would be independent living, not assisted living, Betty Boehler said at the Jan. 30 meeting. That means that while there would be common areas at the building, there would not be any medical assistance for residents. Boehler said the group has been looking for properties in the Plains area, and they are searching for funding for the project as well.

Jen Kreiner with SCCDC said the group is taking the right steps. “Things get done when you have a group of people who want to see change,” she said, noting that SCCDC could provide tools and resources to keep the group working in the right direction.

Jim Jacobson and Ernie Scherzer with the Sanders County Community Housing Organization (SCCHO) commended the group and advised them that the road will be hard. SCCHO is currently working to build low-income housing in Noxon. Jacobson and Scherzer said they understand the struggles the Plains group is experiencing, but told them not to give up.

Jane Bates, a member of the Plains group, said they have 14 community members on their board and will look at funding sources for the project. She said the group has since made plans to meet with SCCDC and SCCHO later this month to determine the next steps in reaching their goal.

During the meeting with the county commissioners, residents voiced their concerns for Sanders County regarding infrastructure, housing and planning, and discussed the needs of the county. Kreiner outlined funding programs available for towns and organizations. Rowan, the Plains Mayor, said the town is pursuing different grants for protecting the sewer treatment facility near the Clark Fork River. Rowan said they have received $200,000 for the project already, and are working with an engineering forum from Kalispell. Last spring, high water compromised the river bank next to the facility, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performed emergency work to protect the wastewater treatment plant.

In other areas of infrastructure, Scherzer suggested a walking track in cooperation with schools and communities to meet the needs of both groups, and John Thorson stated that the Paradise Center is in need of a new heating system for the classroom building. “It’s a critical need we hope to address very soon,” Thorson said, adding that improvements are also being sought to make the facility more welcoming.

Meeting attendees suggested getting together a couple times a year to discuss the needs of the county and to share ideas. “This county needs all communities to help each other,” Scherzer said. “You’ve got to show support for each other.”

County Commissioner Tony Cox said that any of the projects discussed at the meeting would benefit the county as a whole. “We should be supportive,” he said.