In determining whether a request submitted pursuant to sections 17b-352 to 17b-354, inclusive, will be granted, modified or denied, the Commissioner of Social Services shall consider the following: The financial feasibility of the request and its impact on the applicant’s rates and financial condition, the contribution of the request to the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of the delivery of long-term care in the region, whether there is clear public need for the request, the relationship of any proposed change to the applicant’s current utilization statistics and the effect of the proposal on the utilization statistics of other facilities in the applicant’s service area, the business interests of all owners, partners, associates, incorporators, directors, sponsors, stockholders and operators and the personal background of such persons, and any other factor which the Department of Social Services deems relevant. In considering whether there is clear public need for any request for the relocation of beds to a replacement facility, the commissioner shall consider whether there is a demonstrated bed need in the towns within a fifteen-mile radius of the town in which the beds are proposed to be located and whether the availability of beds in the applicant’s service area will be adversely affected. Any proposal to relocate nursing home beds from an existing facility to a new facility shall not increase the number of Medicaid certified beds and shall result in the closure of at least one currently licensed facility. The commissioner may request that any applicant seeking to replace an existing facility reduce the number of beds in the new facility by a percentage that is consistent with the department’s strategic plan for long-term care. If an applicant seeking to replace an existing facility with a new facility owns or operates more than one nursing facility, the commissioner may request that the applicant close two or more facilities before approving the proposal to build a new facility. The commissioner shall also consider whether an application to establish a new or replacement nursing facility proposes a nontraditional, small-house style nursing facility and incorporates goals for nursing facilities referenced in the department’s strategic plan for long-term care, including, but not limited to, (1) promoting person-centered care, (2) providing enhanced quality of care, (3) creating community space for all nursing facility residents, and (4) developing stronger connections between the nursing facility residents and the surrounding community. Bed need shall be based on the recent occupancy percentage of area nursing facilities and the projected bed need for no more than five years into the future at ninety-seven and one-half per cent occupancy using the latest official population projections by town and age as published by the Office of Policy and Management and the latest available state-wide nursing facility utilization statistics by age cohort from the Department of Public Health. The commissioner may also consider area specific utilization and reductions in utilization rates to account for the increased use of less institutional alternatives.