The long awaited lifecare community planned for the former Morewood Property on the shore of Hempstead Harbor has opened a sales office in Roslyn and a series of meetings were held last week with people who had already indicated an interest in the project. The meetings were conducted by Patricia Doty, a dynamic spokeswoman for the Marriott organization, which expects to develop the property.

At one meeting Ms. Doty began by explaining the confusion in terms many people have in distinguishing between "assisted living " facilities and lifecare communities. "Assisted living," she said, refers to housing for people who need help with daily activities such as dressing and taking care of meals. A Lifecare community, on the other hand, includes people who are completely independent and runs the gamut to those who need the full service provided in a Health Center (nursing home).

According to Ms. Doty, plans for Harbor Ridge have been a long time developing because New York State takes a long time to give its approval to such facilities. "New York State has been scrutinizing it to make sure Harbor Ridge is right for seniors," she said.

Describing the type of person who will probably be interested in Harbor Ridge, she said that at a certain age, "house maintenance can become overwhelming. Some people are suddenly single and find themselves with an ever decreasing circle of friends. Nobody drives at night and you find yourself having dinner with Tom Brokaw every night."

By contrast, she described the "Marriott Experience." The Marriott Company now has built and runs 125 senior living communities throughout the United States. They are resident-owned cooperative housing. A person who buys such a co-op can sell it at a later date or leave it as part of an estate. The older Life Care communities were quite different. In those, a person, or persons, turns over all assets in return for a guarantee that he/she will be taken care of for the remaining years of life. Such communities have usually been run by religious communities.

A community such as Harbor Ridge is quite different. The purchaser pays to purchase a cooperative apartment and additionally pays a monthly fee which varies depending upon the type of cooperative that has been bought. This monthly fee does not change over time, even if a permanent move to the Health Care Center (nursing home) should be required. Since average nursing home fees in this part of the country are upwards of $300 a day, the monthly fee charged at a facility such as Harbor Ridge seems reasonable.

Included in ownership in Harbor Ridge will be daily meals in one of the restaurants on site, formal, informal or the grill. One meal a day is included in the monthly fee. There is also weekly housekeeping service including flat linen service; 24-hour security; all utilities except telephone; 24-hour valet parking and finally health care. There are multiple levels of health care, from help with daily living to skilled nursing. Also included is scheduled transportation to the railroad station, medical center, church, synagogue and others. A full-time activities coordinator organizes planned social, cultural and educational activities.

Unit prices range from $228,038 for a one-bedroom, one bath unit, to $934,656 for a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath unit with dining area and den. Monthly fees range from $2,758 to $5,819. If two residents are party to a Services Agreement, a second person fee of $950 per month will be charged.

The first step for anyone interested in Harbor Ridge is to sign a Harbor Ridge Priority Reservation Agreement. This is not a lifecare contract and may be cancelled by the prospective purchaser at any time. Upon receipt of this signed agreement and a fully refundable $2,000 reservation fee, a person's name is added to the Priority Reservation Registry and a Priority Number assigned. Numbers are distributed in the order each signed document with check is received.

Ms. Doty urged those in attendance at the meetings held by Harbor Ridge, to "get yourself into a position where you can make a choice." In other words, the fully-refundable $2,000 deposit gets you on the list. Once the priority reservation application is approved and Harbor Ridge achieves 50 percent pre-sales, construction will begin. Judging from the degree of interest shown, the project looks like a "go" in the near future.

The Harbor Ridge Information Center is located in the Harbourview Shopping Center at 1512 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. The phone number is (516) 625-7300. There is also a toll-free number 1-888-768-6700.