CHESTERBROOK RESIDENCES, NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S FIRST MIXED-INCOME ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, IS DEDICATED SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2008
(February 11, 2008 – McLean/Falls Church) nearly seven years in the making, Chesterbrook Residences, Fairfax County’s first mixed-income assisted living facility, was dedicated Sunday, February 10th. More than 200 persons attended.
James Scott, Delegate to the Virginia Legislature, Gerald Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust participated in the dedication ceremony.
Also participating were clergy from Chesterbrook Residences’ three founding congregations, Reverend Aaron Fulp-Eickstaedt of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Reverend Emily Berman d’Andrea of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church and Rabbi Laszlo Berkowits of Temple Rodef Shalom. Also speak was retired Rabbi Richard Sternberger, Co-President of the Chesterbrook Residences’ Resident Council.
Chesterbrook Residences’ opened its doors to its first residents on November 1, 2007. Reverend Gary Pinder, the minister of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church for 37 years until his retirement in 2005, was honored at the dedication event for his pioneering efforts in the creation of Chesterbrook Residences. The lobby of Chesterbrook Residences was dedicated to him.
Chesterbrook Residences is a non-denominational, non-profit, affordable Assisted Living Residence that opened in November at 2030 Westmoreland Street in Falls Church, Virginia.
Chesterbrook Residences is a cooperative outreach project of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church and Immanuel Presbyterian Church, both of McLean, and Temple Rodef Shalom of Falls Church. These three congregations with the National Capital Presbytery comprise the non-profit Board of Directors of Chesterbrook Residences.
Chesterbrook Residences has 97 apartments. Immediate residential opportunities are available. For more information regarding Chesterbrook Residences call 703-531-0781. Forty-nine apartments are eligible to receive housing subsidy assistance.
Chesterbrook offers a beautiful home with a caring staff. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served each day. A wide range of recreational, arts and crafts and entertainment activities are offered. There is an enclosed courtyard that permits a resident to enjoy the outdoors in a safe manner. A volunteer services program, “staffed” by members of the sponsoring congregations, augments the services provided by the professional staff. Chesterbrook provides religious services in-house or transportation to local religious institutions for worship
The genesis of Chesterbrook Residences rests with the members of the Chesterbrook Presbyterian Church, which occupied the front four acres of the Westmoreland site. As the church members aged, membership declined. In late 2000, CPC reluctantly concluded that the church they dearly loved could no longer be sustained economically. When CPC asked the National Capital Presbytery to dissolve the congregation, it asked that the church building continue to be used as a church home and that the back five acres, which are vacant, become the home of an assisted living facility that would be available to low-income seniors. NCP agreed to both requests. A congregation that had been worshipping in Oakton High School moved into the building in early 2001 and renamed it the Chesterbrook Taiwanese Presbyterian Church.
In late 2000, NCP also asked Lewinsville Presbyterian Church (LPC) to examine the feasibility of building the assisted living facility. Given LPC’s experience in constructing, owning and operating Lewinsville Retirement Residence, an independent living facility for 170 low-income seniors in McLean, it was natural for LPC to assume the lead role. Reverend Pinder, then the minister of LPC, immediately formed a task force of volunteers under the leadership of Reverend Gerald Hopkins. The task force began the arduous process of examining land use, engineering, environmental and financial questions associated with the dream of serving low-income seniors. Thousands of volunteer hours were and continue to be clocked on the project.
Although feasibility was established in mid-2002, it took until April 2004 for the Board of Supervisors to approve the land-use application and until March 2006 for approval of the site plan and receipt of various permits. CRI broke ground in May 2006.
“No one thought back in early 2001 that it would take this long to open Chesterbrook Residences,” stated Gerald Hopkins, President of the CRI Board of Directors. “There were many potholes and roadblocks along the way, but the dream has become a reality. We are grateful to VHDA, Fairfax County, the National Capital Presbytery and all of our other supporters for helping us reach this milestone.”
The journey was well worth it when Richard Sternberger, Chesterbrook resident and Co-President of the Chesterbrook’s Resident Council, declared in his remarks that while he entered assisted living with some trepidation, his days at Chesterbrook have been some of the happiest in his life.
Chesterbrook welcomes potential residents, neighbors, the press and other interested persons to visit. Chesterbrook Residences is open for visits from 9-5 Monday through Friday and 10-3 Saturdays and Sundays. For information or an application, please contact Kelly Halteh, Director of Marketing and Admissions, at 703-531-0781, ext.106, or khalteh@cri-va.org or go to www.chesterbrookres.org.
Chesterbrook Residences is managed by Coordinated Services Management (CSM) Inc. of Roanoke, Virginia, operators of eighteen senior residences in Virginia and Maryland including Tall Oaks in Reston, Potomac Place in Woodbridge and Culpepper Garden in Arlington.
