If you drive by the site on College Drive you will see that Construction of Dimmitt Woods senior housing is coming along quite well. The ponds are completed, the driveway has been graded for the initial layer of blacktop to be laid, and the building is now under roof. This will allow construction on the interior of the building to continue throughout the coming winter.
The project will be completed and ready for occupancy by the end of May 2013. Advertising for rental of the 40 one-bedroom units will begin in early 2013. Each unit will have a fully equipped galley kitchen, a living room/dining area, a large bedroom, and bath. Heat and air conditioning is thermostat controlled in each apartment.
Safety features and building amenities include a sprinkler system throughout the building, smoke detectors in all apartments, a pull-cord in the bedroom and bathroom that ring to the resident manager’s apartment, a large entrance parlor, a community room, a library, and laundry room.
Dimmitt Woods is an independent living facility. However, supportive services will be available to help residents maintain their independence. These services include transportation for grocery shopping and medical appointments, meals-on-wheels, and homecare services. Applicants must be at least 62 years of age and meet certain income guidelines. Rent is based on each individual’s monthly net income. All utilities are included in the monthly rent except telephone.
To date, over 150 senior citizens have expressed an interest in living at Dimmitt Woods, which means we can anticipate that all units will be leased at occupancy with a waiting list, as in the case at the other six senior housing facilities operated by Clermont Senior Services. The individuals on the interest list will receive an application by mail in early 2013. While this does not guarantee acceptance, it will allow these individuals to complete and return an application in a timely manner.
Those individuals on the interest list who live in the Village of Batavia and Batavia Township will be given first priority in the application process and will also have priority on the waiting list.
I am still occasionally asked about why the name Dimmitt Woods was selected for this facility. The short answer is to honor Ezekiel Dimmitt who is regarded as the founder of the Batavia community. This is particularly appropriate since according to local historians, Dimmitt Woods senior housing is located on the approximate site of Ezekiel Dimmitt’s original log cabin homestead constructed 215 years ago.
Ezekiel Dimmitt’s story is recorded in “Historical Collections of Ohio” by Henry Howe, which is available online at Ancestry.com. Howe wrote: “The first cabin in the township was erected by Ezekiel Dimmitt, a Virginian by birth, in the fall of 1797. The following spring he made a little maple sugar and planted a few acres of corn on leased land at Columbia (believed to be in the area where Lunken Airport is now located), 15 miles away, where he went by following blazed paths through the dense woods. A little corn, flax, and potatoes were also planted around the cabin on partly cleared ground. His nearest neighbor lived in a cabin seven miles distant. Soon other settlers came and Ezekiel Dimmitt’s cabin afforded a friendly shelter to many a pioneer on the lookout for a new home.”
An open house and dedication will be held approximately six weeks after completion. I doubt that we will be tapping the sugar maples or planting any corn, flax, or potatoes, but come spring you can look for a nice array of flowers to adorn the grounds of Dimmitt Woods to welcome the new residents.
George Brown is a freelance writer. He lives in Jackson Township.