Assisted living facility site moves to Gluckstadt after withdrawing Livingston proposal

Mary Boyte, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read

The Oaks, an assisted living facility initially intended for Livingston, will now begin construction in Gluckstadt following unanimous approval from the Board of Aldermen.

Husband and wife duo Chad and Crystal Phillips are the developers behind The Oaks. Chad, a charge nurse and native of Madison, said he and Crystal, a real estate agent, wanted to contribute much-needed support for seniors and disabled individuals in Madison County.

The couple initially set out to build The Oaks in Livingston, an unincorporated community in Madison County near Flora. Rather than residential homes, Livingston is known for its rich entertainment scene including restaurants, commercial businesses, music festival, farmers markets and wedding venues.

Livingston business owners and nearby residents strongly opposed The Oaks proposal, with many stating during a Madison County Board of Supervisors public hearing in January that the facility would violate the established character of the area.

Chad Phillips, from right, and his wife Crystal Phillips, developers of The Oaks, with her mother Sharon Gardner and his mother Linda Phillips, discuss why they want to move ahead with the project after attending a board of supervisors meeting in Canton on Jan. 18, 2023. The project will now move to Gluckstadt.
Chad Phillips, from right, and his wife Crystal Phillips, developers of The Oaks, with her mother Sharon Gardner and his mother Linda Phillips, discuss why they want to move ahead with the project after attending a board of supervisors meeting in Canton on Jan. 18, 2023. The project will now move to Gluckstadt.

The proposal and pushback: Livingston business owners resist proposed assisted living facility. See details here

The proposal, originally approved by the Madison County Planning and Zoning Commission in Oct. 2023, went through several months of back and forth within the Board of Supervisors meetings. The Mannsdale-Livingston Heritage Preservation Commission pushed back against the planning and zoning approval.

In late May, the proposal was still awaiting voting from the Madison County Board of Supervisors when Chad announced he and Crystal had chosen to withdraw the proposal entirely. The Phillips sold the Livingston property on May 24.

Developers withdraw initial petition: Proposed Livingston assisted living facility will not move forward following push back

On June 5, Chad told the Clarion Ledger that he and Crystal had found a different property in Madison County for the facility, but did not disclose the new location because the plans were still in early developments.

The Oaks, an assisted living facility shown in this digital rendering, will move forward in Gluckstadt following approval from the Gluckstadt Board of Aldermen and Mayor Walter C. Morrison. The developers had originally planned to build in Livingston.
The Oaks, an assisted living facility shown in this digital rendering, will move forward in Gluckstadt following approval from the Gluckstadt Board of Aldermen and Mayor Walter C. Morrison. The developers had originally planned to build in Livingston.

During the July 9 Gluckstadt Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor Walter C. Morrison and the aldermen approved the conditional use permit for the Oaks.

The Oaks will now reside in Gluckstadt on five acres of land on the corner of Calhoun Station Parkway and Sowell Road. Chad said the new location will include all the same amenities as the original Livingston proposal.

Chad said he is "very excited to excited to help the seniors in our community for years to come." He said an assisted living facility is a service that currently does not exist in Gluckstadt.

The Oaks is expected to break ground on the new property before the end of 2024.

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Assisted living facility site moves to Gluckstadt MS from Livingston MS