MEXICO — Grand View Apartments, a senior living facility on Backkingdom Road, will go smoke-free starting July 1.

“This really is a huge milestone in the community,” Sandra Witas, River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition project coordinator, said Thursday in a news release. “Properties that already have tenants that smoke are fearful of change, as they worry that they won’t be able to find enough tenants that don’t smoke.”

Witas said Grand View agent manager Anne Young decided it was time to approach the Board of Directors about making the units smoke-free.

“It came on the heels of an expensive unit turnover that had a smoking tenant,” Witas said.

Young was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Witas said the coalition provided Young with the resources and materials for the Board of Directors to help them “make the best decision and have it be a smooth transition.”

“Encouraging landlords and property owners in the River Valley to go smoke-free makes perfect sense for the RVHCC,” she said. “It is about providing a safe and healthy place for the members of our community to live, and housing that contains tobacco smoke is not safe for the residents of multiunit properties.

Any landlord in the community who is interested in having their property become smoke-free and needs guidance, may call Witas at 364.7408 for more information.

“Additionally any landlord that is already smoke-free and needs materials such as signage, can call as well,” she said.

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