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Retirement
by Wayne Whiston The Palms of Manasota For many years we have been advised by several promoters of wonderful planned facilities for retiring gays and/or lesbians which are on the drawing board or "in the works." None of them to date have come anywhere near fruition. We at Our World began to wonder if the idea of "gay" retirement communities was even feasible! Gay men and lesbians have many problems when they are reaching retirement age. Often they have little contact with their family, and sometimes the relationship is actually hostile. Some gay and lesbian couples are so closed, they never bother to make many friends along the way, leaving themselves very much alone if one partner dies. Additionally, most gay people do not have children, an important factor when they require assistance or care as seniors. And, the government, federal and state, exclude gays from programs and benefits, reserving them for "straight" citizens even though gays spend their lives paying taxes. The word "discrimination" comes to mind! One hears stories of single gay men or women, often having lost their life partner, who while away the hours in a small room or apartment in cities and towns across the country, rarely going out or knowing many people. It isn't that they cannot afford to live elsewhere, but they don't know of any facilities for our community's seniors or where to find out about them. It's especially hard to believe this when one realizes that there are literally millions of gay men and women already in retirement or preparing to retire! In January of 1999 we present our first article on a real live gay and lesbian retirement community located on Florida's beautiful west coast. Bill Laing, who envisioned the project after considering the problem of retirement and being gay, invited us over to explore the site of his retirement village. Our first reaction to the call was, here we go again, a "site" where something was probably supposed to happen at some time in the distant future. At any rate, we figured it was an excuse to spend a relaxing weekend at the then newly opened Suncoast Resort in St. Petersburg. The resort is a short drive across the bridge to the gay and lesbian retirement "site" at Palmetto, also close to Bradenton and Sarasota. Turning into the facility from the main road, we noted the inviting and attractively landscaped entrance. We parked and Bill appeared from a very smart home he had designed for himself. We were told that he had purchased the property himself, developed the roads, sidewalks, sewers, electricity and designed the houses, all built by one contractor. There were actually several lovely houses, 8 in all, with real people living inside. The floor plans were spacious and well thought out, taking into account that some residents may not always be able to negotiate well in confined rooms. The individual rooms, bathroom and kitchen were designed for any eventualities. All of the appliances were upgraded, the spaces bright, and screened patio areas looked out on a small lake. The property was well maintained with open spaces, the neat houses sitting under shade trees with colorful foliage along clean sidewalks, and the lake, behind which an unused expanse of land awaited future development. To say we were impressed would be an understatement. Bill proudly showed us through three occupied houses, with permission, and pointed out a large flat lot near one end of the lake that had just been purchased by a lesbian couple from Chicago. Bill mentioned that the Palm's property was luckily bordered by a strict conservation area, yet another added feature to impress potential buyers. It was all very impressive. Since the article on the Palms of Manasota first appeared in Our World, I had tentatively kept in touch with Bill who advised me that "things were going well." With the surge in the gay and lesbian community across the bridge in Tampa/St. Petersburg, and the continuing wild expansion of gay travel worldwide, I hadn't had time to pursue the building process at The Palms. Recently I was asked to give a talk on gay and lesbian travel to the also growing SouthWest Florida Business Guild in Sarasota, mentioning The Palms in my conversation with the Board of Director's President Turner Moore. I was excited to hear from him that not only was the facility doing well, but that the first stage was completed with twenty-one detached house, and the second phase was in development with the construction of 44 triplexes and quadruplexes at lower prices on 8 acres just behind the phase I single family free standing homes. These "villas" will be an attractive addition to the property as the "village" begins to take shape. Talking to The Palms president, John Goodwin, I was advised that in Phase I the residents own the land and their home, while the roads, lakes, landscaped areas and communal sections are maintained by the association. The Phase II development already has twelve confirmed residents who have made commitments to purchase units, so John feels the remaining flats will most likely be pre-sold by the end of this year. Although Phase III is still in the planning stages, Goodwin thinks the property site will include apartments, condominiums and assisted living facilities, probably in a high rise building. The complex may also include a store, library, craft room, cinema and chapel. An important part of the service will include all meals with table service in the dining room. The Palms of Manasota is operated as a trust, working in partnership with the residents through a program of community interaction, adding programs and services based upon the recommendations of the residents. Goodwin stated that gay men and lesbians often have a difficult time when reaching retirement age. If they decide to move to a retirement community geared for heterosexuals, they are frequently shunned. At The Palms you are with concerned "family", and according to the residents you never feel alone and neighbors look out for each other. The Palms has recently purchased an additional eight acres to provide for additional growth. And a new community center is scheduled for completion in 2002, to include offices, a gym and a swimming pool. This facility will be open to seniors from the surrounding area as well as Palms' residents. With the rapidly approaching hoard of baby boomer retirees, a large percentage of whom will be gay, one wonders why there are not more communities like The Palms springing up all over North America. There are plans to develop such properties in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, Palm Springs and Fort Lauderdale. We will keep our readers posted on developments and include articles on any ground breaking that takes place. The term "waiting list" has begun to creep into The Palms vocabulary which should be a wakeup call for anyone interested in contacting them. For additional information on residency and future programs, get in touch with: The Palms of Manasota, Inc. 139 49th Court East Palmetto, Florida 34221 Tel. (941) 722-5858. Fax: (941) 721-8026. E-mail: info@palmsofmanasota.com Web: www.palmsofmanasota.com |