A housing developer is moving forward with plans to redevelop the Robbin Hill Mobile Home Park in Frewsburg into a gated community for senior citizens.

Town Supervisor Russell Payne told The Post-Journal that a new housing development is in the process of being planned in the town of Carroll, pending the final acquisition of the Robbin Hill Mobile Home Park. Payne said that while the housing developer has not yet applied for a special use permit from the town, the property is currently in the closing phase. The acquisition of the Robbin Hill Mobile Home Park would include 56 acres of land that would be developed into a gated community if approved by the town.

“The property is still in the closing phase as far as the purchase of the 56 acres,” Payne said. “As soon as that’s done, the next phase is going to be a special use permit. Then we’ll have a town hearing at the town board and then make the plans available to the community.”

The preliminary plans for the property, which is bordered by the Old Warren Road and Austin Hill Road, include the assembly of 200 manufactured two-bedroom homes that would be available for anyone over the age of 55 to purchase at an affordable price point.

“The price figure that I heard was, they would offer like a two bedroom home perfect for a retirement couple or an empty nester, that would be $89,900 as the starting point,” Payne said. “It’s an attractive price point, I think, for a community like ours.”

The gated community would be called Carroll Hills and would eventually include a convenience store, a pharmacy and a community center. Payne said the community center planned as part of the development could also include a community pool.

According to Payne, the housing developer recently sold his previous development in Maine and is moving forward with plans to invest in the Frewsburg area. The proposed gated community in the town of Carroll would involve the removal of the existing trailer park and would provide what Payne described as “a retirement community” for local residents to take advantage of.

“They want to offer retirement type homes, which are going to be manufactured homes,” he said. “The company that manufactures these homes is in Dunkirk, New York. They’re keeping it local, helping Chautauqua County.”

Along with the new manufactured homes, the gated community would include the addition of new roadways to connect each of the houses and foster a community atmosphere. Payne said the gated community would be connected to the town and would be able to utilize resources such as the town water system.

“They’re going to have it fixed up really nice,” he said. “Roadways are going to be put in according to state specifications, and the town Carroll would supply the services as far as plowing and maintenance of the roads.”

While Payne said the town is excited about the project, he said it is still in progress as the town waits for the developer to close on the purchase of the property prior to submitting plans to the town board. By law, the town will hold a hearing before final approval is given for the project. Payne indicated that most of the community is already aware of the plans, but that each town member would have an opportunity to learn more before any decision is finalized.

“We’re pretty excited about it,” he said. “I think it’s a good fit for the community, something we haven’t had before. We’re all about trying to grow the community, and I think that would be a good fit for our community. It would certainly help the tax base.” ?