Montville — Millwood Communities age-restricted development project is progressing, as the first certificate of occupancy for a home in the 46-home development recently was issued.

The development, located on a 26.75-acre parcel of land at 416 Old Colchester Road in Uncasville, initially was proposed in June 2017 and received approval from Planning and Zoning Commission in July 19, 2017. It is still under construction.

The development, restricted to residents age 55 and up, comprises 46 customizable manufactured homes along two interconnecting streets, Millwood Drive and Highland Circle, running westward from Old Colchester Road in roughly an oval shape. A small area of woods remains in the center of the development, as well as another at the entrance to the community along the frontage. A covered central mail hub sits in a cul-de-sac at the far end of the development. Plans on file with the town indicate that landscaping will consist mostly of hedges and shrubs between the homes.

So far, 12 of the homes have been listed for sale, with prices ranging from about $230,000 to about $255,000.

Though the company Jensen's Inc. of Southington began the project, Sun Communities Inc. announced in 2019 it would be acquiring Jensen's in a merger. Jensen's became a subsidiary of the large corporation which, according to its website, has been in business for over 40 years and has age-restricted communities in 16 states.

Officials at Sun Communities, based in Michigan, did not return calls seeking comment.

The acquisition of Jensen's Inc. gave Sun Communities ownership of four age-restricted developments in Montville. With the addition of Millwood, there are now three Sun Communities 55+ developments within less than a third of a mile of one another, with Laurel Heights and Hillcrest also located on Old Colchester Road. The fourth community is Marina Cove on Kitemaug Road in Uncasville.

The demand for age-restricted communities in the area has risen alongside rapid growth in the population of Americans over the age of 65. According to the town Plan of Conservation and Development adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission in February, while the population of people under 35 will decrease, the percentage of residents 65 and up will increase by 34.5% by 2035.

When asked about the rising popularity of age-restricted developments, Carol Christiansen, former president of the Connecticut Association of Realtors and owner of RE/MAX Realty Group of Gales Ferry, said "it's an attractive option. It offers one-floor living and they don't have to worry about maintenance."

She went on to talk about the less tangible reasons people consider these communities, saying that in them people can find "camaraderie and a sense of community."

These ideas were reiterated by Paula Turley, president of the Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors. "We are seeing people who moved to the sun belt deciding it isn't for them, and moving back to be closer to children and grandchildren. Family becomes paramount." She further explained, "people don't want to worry about two-floor living. They want to be able to utilize their entire property for years to come."