A developer is wanting Lakeway City Council to consider amending the city's municipal code to allow a senior living project on an 8-acre tract of land located off RR 620.

The site is located in the commercial zoning district, or C-1, which does not currently permit senior living facilities as proposed by the developer, the Hawthorn Retirement Group, which is based in Vancouver, Washington. The city's zoning ordinance must be amended before the project can proceed, Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman said. Council members directed staff Nov. 17 to draft the applicable zoning amendment.

Lenity Architecture land manager Mark Lowen, who is representing the Hawthorn Retirement Group, said the developer is proposing to construct a project designed to accommodate healthy, active seniors who desire onsite personal services and transportation.

The focus of the suite-type community is to provide meals, utilities and shuttle bus services to residents, most of whom are at least 80 years old, he said. By providing transportation for its residents, the community would not add to traffic and congestion issues in the area, he said.

Many of Hawthorn Retirement Group's communities feature movie theaters, salons, chapels and coffee lounges with around-the-clock onsite managers, Lowen said. The Lakeway proposal may incorporate these functions in a two-story building, with studio and one- and two-bedroom options, he said.