A local nonprofit is one step closer to developing a community for area seniors.
Inn Along the Way Inc. raised more than $500,000 to purchase the Chapman Farm located at 741 Main St. in Damariscotta.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Inn Along the Way President Sherry Flint said. “The need for a community for seniors is far too great to ignore, so to see things falling into place is just amazing.”
Flint said the discussion between the Gallagher-Chapman family and Inn Along the Way began last November after a board member suggested it to the organization. The property was later identified as a potential location for a “pocket neighborhood” for seniors.
“It had everything we were looking for,” Flint said. “We went as a board to walk around the property and all agreed it checked all the boxes.”
The 31-acre property would offer enough space for a dozen small homes for individuals and couples, short-term housing for caretakers and people approaching the end of their lives, an inn, an art center, a café and tea room, and a garden for a “farm-to-table” program.
The organization had until Dec. 2 of this year to raise the $500,000 to purchase the land. Flint said the nonprofit received a $150,000 donation to be used as a match, which helped the campaign get underway. Inn Along the Way also participated in community events, like Olde Bristol Days and the Damariscotta River Pirate Rendezvous in Damariscotta; however, Flint said most of the money came from “quiet donations.”
“We had people who regularly donated $10, and a woman who donated about $66 in a jar full of change,” Flint said. “It was just amazing to see how much the community supports the project.”
Flint said Inn Along the Way hopes to close on the property soon so the project can take the next steps toward becoming a reality. An estimated $5.2 million will need to be raised to complete the entire project. Flint said the board will proceed in a matter of steps, starting with three homes and one short-term cottage.
Ray Cragin, a retired landscape architect, approached Inn Along the Way to volunteer his services for the project. Cragin has previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service and has professional experience with site planning for senior housing.
The board also selected Richard Burt Architects to design the community. Burt, who was the architect for Rising Tide in Damariscotta, was “a natural fit” for the project, Flint said.
Inn Along the Way will continue to hold informative “coffee and conversation” meetings, which the board has been using to inform local residents about the goals and plans of the organization.
“It’s exactly what it’s called, a conversation,” Flint said. “We want to put what we’re hoping to do out there, but we also want to hear what questions, ideas, or concerns people have.”
The next coffee and conversation meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 5 in the community room of the CLC YMCA in Damariscotta.
Although there are still numerous details Flint said the board needs to decide on, she said she is glad to see the plan for the community is progressing.
“We came together as a board two years ago and to see where we are now is just incredible,” Flint said.