A year and a half ago, Don Carmignani and his wife, Bev, moved into an apartment in Wesley Gardens. Their home in SeaTac – which they had occupied for 43 years – was too much to maintain once Don was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

“At our age, it’s very difficult to move,” Carmignani said.

But it was ultimately worthwhile. According to a letter written by Carmignani, Wesley Gardens was “a peaceful, serene environment perfect for spending one’s sunset years!”

Last November, Carmignani first received notice that they would need to move again. He did not receive a projected date for the move.

“We had no idea what they had in store for this,” Carmignani said.

The move is part of Wesley Garden’s extensive renovation plan, where the whole campus will be replaced.

The development is planned in phases over a five-year period. According to the 2014 Annual and Social Accountability Reports for Wesley Homes, the construction will result in a brownstone-style residence, more cottages, and a new Gardens building, which will include apartments, assisted living, and memory care facilities. A town center is planned for Wesley Homes, which will contain several dining options, a chapel, a wellness center, a pool, and a sky bridge connecting Wesley Gardens with Wesley Terrace, on the other side of 216th Street. A new health center will also be part of the developments.

Construction for the new facilities will start in September. The first phase of the construction is replacing the cottages, which will take approximately a year and a half.

Plans have been in the offing to renovate Wesley Homes for about nine years. The initial plan for the redevelopment of the Gardens campus began around 2007, but financing the project became difficult due to the economic downturn and it was put on hold. Wesley Homes returned to the project two years ago, reconvened with the architect and developer, and redesigned the concept.

Wesley Homes hired Walsh Construction to run the project.

The construction was originally intended to begin in 2015, but delays have occurred again this spring due to the complexities of coordination between the contractor, the architect, and additional financing for the project.

“It’s going to be a beautiful campus when it’s done,” said Lawrence Pickard, building official for the City of Des Moines.

This project represents one out of many redevelopment plans happening throughout the country as retirement homes prepare meet the incoming wave of baby boomers nearing retirement age.

The current building keeps up with regulations provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act - it has sliding doors, parking, accessible housing unites, elevators, and amenities for people with limited hearing or sight. However, it was built in the 1950s and some residents have complaints.

Carmignani has issues with heating in his apartment, and Pickard said
the air conditioning is inefficient.

Carmignani also claims the elevators were inoperative for a period of time and the gardens were poorly maintained earlier this spring until the administration received complaints from residents.

He believes these changes are the result of a change in management at Wesley Homes.

Alexander Candalla is the executive director for the Des Moines campus of Wesley Homes. He took the position there a year ago.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Candalla said, regarding the operation of the elevators. “I don’t think I can give you any more information. I think that the concerns we have internally will not interest the public.”

Candalla declined to comment further or answer any other questions.

According to Pickard, plans for the new building include more modern amenities - more rooms and windows in the units, more electrical outfits, and more energy efficiency throughout.

Despite the benefits of the new facilities, Carmignani fears the construction process will be damaging to the health of residents of Wesley Gardens – particularly his wife, who has COPD. He cited worries about pollution, noise, and once the soil is disturbed, potential release of toxins from the Asarco Company’s copper smelter in Tacoma that operated in the last century.

However, Pickard said there are regulations in place assuring noise from the construction site will be minimal - there is a limit to the decibel levels.

Pickard also addressed the regulations minimizing pollution from the site, which include proper disposal for asbestos and lead-based paint, and only using equipment which functions properly.

“It can’t just be spewing smoke and oil and dust,” Pickard said.

Pickard said that in regards to concerns about arsenic, lead, or other heavy metals from Asarco in the soil, the city has taken soil samples, and no remediation of the soil is necessary - the toxin levels are not above federal guidelines.

It is not only the construction Carmignani is concerned about – he thinks the move into a new facility would be stressful and ultimately detrimental to those living at Wesley Homes.

“The reason that it’s a phased project is so that we can more effectively transition our residents,” said Christine Tremaine, vice president for marketing and development at Wesley Homes.

Carmignani lives in the main building of Wesley Gardens. Construction of the facility will begin in the spring of 2018, and will take approximately 18 months to complete. When it is finished, residents will move into the new facility and the old one will be demolished.

“Essentially, no one gets displaced,” Pickard said.

If the construction continues as planned, Carmignani and his wife will look for a home elsewhere.

“This is our paradise,” Carmignani said. “And then to have it taken away from us within a couple of months is really quite a shock.”

Carmignani has not been passive about his disappointment.

“I feel it’s important to let the whole community know about what we have and what will be lost,” Carmignani said.

He attended four city council meetings, and spoke at two of them against what he views as the destruction of his paradise.

He also wrote letters protesting the upcoming renovation to State Representatives Mia Gregerson and Tina Orwall, State Senator Karen Keiser, King County Council Member Dave Upthegrove, and Des Moines Council Member Dave Kaplan.

“I’ve received nothing but negative responses from them,” Carmignani said. “And the administration tells me I’m just a downer. Their feeling is this is private property and so they can do whatever they want to it.”

The administration of Wesley Homes claims it has listened to feedback from residents since the project’s inception.

“We’re soliciting feedback and input, we’re listening to that, and we’re accommodating that where we can,” Tremaine said. “The whole thing is about communication, and being very upfront and transparent about this.”
“We don’t want anyone to feel unhappy or unsafe, or feel that we’re doing wrong by them,” Tremaine said. “We try to do what’s right for them and for the whole community.”