By Margaret Hicks
Staff Writer
About 15 months ago, the Carland Group (the Group), of Oklahoma City, filed building permits for Cherokee Meadows, a senior living community to be locate in Tulsa, Okla. At that time, Terry Carty, manager of the Carland Group, said his company had built 13 such apartment communities in Oklahoma “and the time had come to expand into Tulsa.” This affordable housing for independent seniors was expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
Though the project was not complete by the end of 2016, the Group began moving seniors into the 48 one and two-bedroom apartment units. The units include an attached garage. The residents are not happy and some were willing to talk about it. Ms. Mary and Mrs. Shaw shared some of their displeasure with their new home.
Address Unknown
Residents of Cherokee Meadows do not get mail delivered, though they have mail boxes. Resident must go to the Post Office to pick up their mail. The Post Office does not know they are there.
Sorry, Wrong Number
Residents of Cherokee Meadows won’t be getting any “wrong number’ telephone calls because they have not been able to get a landline telephone installed. With the advent of cell phones this may seem like a miniscule problem, however, for a heart patient, as is Ms. Mary, a landline is a necessity because she has a heart monitor. The heart monitor needs a landline phone to be able to transmit her heart rhythm and rate from home to hear healthcare provider.
Also, one of the amenities offered to the residents is home security system. Residents are feeling insecure as they cannot change their generic passcode which was issued when they moved in. A landline phone is needed.
The Grass Isn’t Greener
It’s been said that “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,” but this is not true at Cherokee Meadows. Not because there is no fence, but because there is no grass. Just dirt, ad with the recent rains, just mud.
A Step Up
One of Mrs. Shaw’s biggest dissatisfactions is the driveway which does not have ramp, but has a curb. The driveways are not accessible with a wheelchair. Seniors walking with a cane or walker are at risk of injury. However, the rental office, which is only open one day per week, has a handicap accessible ramp.
