Los Gatos senior living facility to close over safety concerns

A senior living facility in Los Gatos has announced it's closing its doors, citing safety concerns. 

Moving isn't easy at any age. But for the residents of Los Gatos Meadows, most of them in their 80s and 90s,it will be even harder.

The senior living slash assisted living facility announced it's closing it's doors, leaving families like that of Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman, scrambling for alternatives.

Wasserman says, "This was moving mom at 83 years of age, to a place where we thought we'd never have to move again."

But now the 150 residents here are left with little choice.

Los Gatos Meadows says the decision to close was about safety.

They say an independent asessment found their wiring was out of date, they had repeated gas leaks and their fire access road was lacking.

Mary McMullin, with parent company Covia, says, "Given the last two years of incredible fires, we looked long and hard at this and we realized it's not to our standards of safety but we know we are in compliance with the fire marshal."

Covia... which eventually hopes to rebuild here likely senior living apartments for sale, not for rent.
They plan to refund the $4000 fee residents paid when they moved in and give them another $2500 toward relocation.

McMullin says, "This is not a decision that we do in any way lightly or is something that we chose to do. In our 50 year history as a system we have never closed a community. So we do take it very seriously and it is sad." 

Mike Wasserman says, "We've been looking at places in Los Gatos and Campbell and San Jose but they've all got waiting lists."

The Wassermans say there are few available options close by and that leaving the area means being further from loved ones, community groups and doctors.

 Wasserman says, "So I'm very concerned. I'm very worried. I hope The Meadows decides to give a little more time, a few more dollars to make the transition a little less painful."

The facility is set to close September 30th. However it could take Covia up to 3 years to get the permits necessary to demolish and rebuild at this site.