Rockynol adult daycare, McGregor, PACE, Highland Square Akron
The Akron Planning Commission voted 5-0 at a recent meeting to approve expansion plans for the Rockynol Retirement Community in the Highland Square neighborhood. Credit: (Google Maps)

Covered by Documenter:

Bryan Pepper (read his notes here)

Members of the Akron Planning Commission voted 5-0 to support an expansion request for an adult day care facility in the Rockynol Retirement Community at 1275 W. Exchange St. in the Highland Square neighborhood. 

McGregor PACE Summit plans to develop a 20,600-square-foot facility on the grounds of the retirement campus. It proposes adding a 1,600-square-foot, one-story building and repurposing 19,000 square feet of existing space for the project.

McGregor, based in Cleveland, provides a range of senior living options including assisted and independent living, nursing care and hospice. The Ohio Department of Aging selected McGregor to expand the state’s managed care effort called Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) into Summit County by the end of this year.  This plan is their first foray into Summit County.

Documenter Bryan Pepper was on hand for the seven-minute planning commission meeting March 15. Staff from the Department of Planning and Urban Development and from developers were also present to discuss the plans. 

Rockynol, PACE, adult day care, Akron, Highland Square
Developers plan to build an adult day care facility on the Rockynol Retirement Community campus in the Highland Square neighborhood. Credit: (Courtesy of the City of Akron)

Adult day care to employ up to 50 people

The planned facility will be situated on the west side of the property and operate weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the planning department petition. The developers said there will be no new driveways or parking required. 

They also plan to hire up to 50 people to operate the center, depending on how many seniors utilize the facility once it opens. 

The planning staff set several other conditions, including:

  1. Submission of a storm management plan to control runoff and sedimentation during and after construction
  2. Vehicles will be permitted from West Market and West Exchange streets 
  3. The provision of a dust-free street storage space for materials and equipment during construction
  4. Interior and exterior spaces will adhere to the city’s building code regarding safety and appearance
  5. Lighting in and around the property won’t impede traffic or intrude into the surrounding neighborhoods

The petition moves next to City Council for further discussion and final approval. 

Read Documenter Bryan Pepper’s notes here:

Akron-City-Planning-Commission-Akron-City-Planning-Commission-03_15_2024Download

Community Journalism Director (he/him)
Kevin leads the Akron Documenters program at Signal Akron, connects with the community and supports the journalists in the newsroom. With a servant leader mindset, he brings more than 30 years of experience in local journalism, media consulting, and education to Akron. Editor & Publisher selected Kevin as top media leader in their “25 over 50” class in 2022. Members of the group were selected for their “strong work ethic, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence, and their ability to lead during challenging times.” Kevin is committed to serving the residents of Akron with an optimistic, inclusive, and innovative mindset to help elevate civic engagement and local journalism.

Akron Documenters trains and pays residents to document local government meetings with notes and live-tweet threads. We then make those meeting summaries available as a new public record.