An adult family home is in the works for Northeast 79th Avenue in Vancouver, an effort to fulfill the dream of one local woman and her dear friend.
For years, Betty Clark had been caring for her aging friend Janice in the hours when she wasn’t working as a caregiver at a hospital. Over time, the two became like family.
Along with other moments of life, they discussed Clark’s longtime dream of building an adult family home to care for patients in a smaller setting. She has long dreamed of a cozy, family environment where she can provide quality care. She wants a yard where patients can walk outside and where they can have barbecues.
When Janice’s health declined further, she moved in with Clark and her husband. Janice ended up giving her property to Clark last fall so Clark could realize her dream of caring for the elderly in the community.
Janice died last month, and Clark is determined to honor Janice’s memory and gift by fulfilling that dream and naming the adult family home in her honor.
“Our community is in need,” Clark told The Columbian.
Currently, Janice’s single-family home sits alone on the 0.41-acre property at 3305 N.E. 79th Ave. A pre-application document submitted to the city of Vancouver by Compass Contractors stated that it will be demolished to make way for what was called in the document an assisted living facility.
The pre-planning documents include plans for a single-story, wood frame building around 7,000 square feet in size.
The initial layout shown in the pre-application includes plans for 15 bedrooms, all with closets and bathrooms, as well as an office, dining room, kitchen, great room and covered porch. Clark is not sure that this is what will be built, noting that it’s still early in the planning process.
The land, which lies just south of Fourth Plain Boulevard in the Ogden neighborhood, is zoned by the city as higher-density residential.
The surrounding neighborhood is single-family homes, apartment complexes, offices and the Vancouver Plaza shopping center that sits across Fourth Plain Boulevard.
Morning Briefing Newsletter
Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.
