Cookeville BZA Approves Exception For Assisted Living Facility

Cookeville Zoning Appeals Board approved a zoning exception to allow an Assisted Living Facility on State Road.

Owners Kelli and Curtis Sipe said that the facility will be licensed to house 12 residents and use third-party providers for care including home health, hospice, and physical therapy. Curtis Sipe said that these types of facilities are a growing need.

“You think of the baby boomer generation they’re aging at a rate of 10,000 people a day are turning 65,” Sipe said. “Over 4,00 people a day are turning 80. So that’s a huge population that’s turning older and they’re just going to need more and more care as they go.”

Sipe said that their vision for the facility includes an updated entrance with an exterior makeover, living room and four-season sunroom addition, as well as bedrooms with private baths and even a salon. She said outdoor gathering spaces will incorporate seating, walking paths, and gardening areas.

Kelli Sipe said that the idea came from the fact that there is nothing like this in Cookeville, and that God laid it on their hearts to do something significant and impactful for the community.

“We fully understand the importance of being at home and living in a house and having hands-on help,” Sipe said. “As opposed to being in a big facility with long hallways and lots of doorways.”

Sipe said that the next steps will be to finish purchasing the home and to get architectural plans approved by the necessary local and state bodies.