VALPARAISO | The annexation of about 48 acres at Silhavy and Vale Park roads appears to have met all the deadlines needed to allow development of a senior care complex next year.

Federal law prohibits annexations in the year preceding the decennial census, due in 2010. The council voted unanimously to approve the annexation Monday, which means it will take effect before the end of the year. The developer sought the annexation to connect to city sewer and water service.

The property includes the NIPSCO substation on the north side of Vale Park east of Silhavy along with the area planned for constructing the southbound entrance ramp from Vale Park to the Ind. 49 bypass in two or three years. The NIPSCO property will be zoned for large lot residential use, although no development is expected.

The principal part of the annexation is 28 acres owned by Ramsey Real Estate Enterprises Ltd. south of the proposed entrance ramp and east of Silhavy, which will be zoned for medical, office and technology use. Ramsey is working with Trilogy Health Systems to develop the senior care complex.

The project along the south border of the property will include independent living villas, assisted care apartments, nursing home units and a memory care facility for people with Alzheimer's disease and other similar disorders. Facilities for a total of 153 people are proposed with an estimated value of $26 million.

The project will use about 10 acres, leaving about 18 acres for future development by someone else. Todd Leeth, lawyer for Ramsey, said the hope is that it will be developed as office space for doctors, who would serve the patients at the senior campus.

Councilwoman Kelly Ward asked if the proposed senior care development would pay property taxes. Leeth said both Ramsey and Trinity are for-profit entities, and it is expected they would pay property taxes. He could not speculate on the tax status of whoever might buy the remaining property.

Leeth said the projected tax revenue to the city is about 155 percent of the projected costs to provide services to the newly annexed area, according to the fiscal plan prepared by Planning Director Craig Phillips and adopted by the council at its Sept. 22 meeting. He called that a "safe buffer" for the city.