Cookeville Property Approved For Assisted Living Facility

A Cookeville assisted living facility is planned for an existing building at 570 State Street.

Planning Director Jon Ward said the Cookeville Board of Zoning Appeals approved the special use of the property Thursday.

“This house has previously been used as a hospice residence home,” Ward said. “It was an assisted living facility that was previously approved for that use. However, the use had discontinued for over six months.”

Ward said the property is bank owned by Putnam First Mercantile. The applicants Curtis and Kelli Sipe applied on behalf of the bank. Ward said plans have been submitted for the use of the property.

“They’re interested in acquiring the property to reinstate that type of use,” Ward said. “They submitted a plan showing they would have so many rooms dedicated to the use, how they would use the property. It was all in compliance.”

The property is zoned as single family residential, which allows conditional use for a hospice residence. Ward said a new request for a special exception was required since the home was not operational for more than six months.

“It is something that has been heard before,” Ward said. “(…) It was just essentially a reinstatement of the use.”