SAYREVILLE — An agreement that will tighten security at Winding Wood has been reached between the borough and the owner of its largest apartment complex.
The settlement emerged from litigation that Hillside Estates, which owns the Bordentown Avenue complex, brought against the borough in state Superior Court last year over a security ordinance the Borough Council passed in 2008.
Hillside Estates argued that the ordinance, which mandates that apartment complexes with at least 1,000 housing spaces have an unarmed security guard on the premises at all times, was unfairly directed at Winding Wood, because it is the only complex in the borough with that many units. Winding Wood has over 1,950 units.
The ordinance also mandates that, for every 250 housing spaces over 1,500, another guard must be present between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Attorney Sheppard Guryan of Lasser Hochman LLC, representing the apartment complex, said in legal papers that hiring two full-time security guards and two additional guards for nighttime shifts would be financially detrimental for his client and would give other housing complexes a competitive advantage.
Crime, including the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man in 2007, at the apartment complex became a public issue in recent years as residents and officials discussed and acted on ways to improve safety and security there.
Though borough officials said the ordinance was not intended to single out Winding Wood, they hoped it would help to alleviate crime there.
The court settlement mandates that Hillside Estates have two guards on-site between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, two guards between 1 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and one guard between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. every day.
Borough Business Administrator Jeffrey Bertrand said the agreement increases the presence of security in the complex during high-risk hours.
“It’s going to put more people out there during the nighttime and weekends, which is what people believe are the times of greater issue,” Bertrand said. “They’re adding people during the key hours of the day, and … that’s the most important part.”
Hillside Estates will also be required to install, maintain and monitor at least one video camera at each of the two recreation areas within Winding Wood. The camera, Bertrand said, may have a recording device, which could help to deter crime.
“If and when something does happen, that’s where [the camera] will work, because if it’s good quality, you will be able to identify someone,” he said. “Knowledge that you can identify people on the video is usually a deterrent to [those] people.”
In addition, Hillside Estates will have to install and maintain signage at the entrance to the apartments indicating that the complex is private property and that trespassing is prohibited and violators will be prosecuted. It will also have to post neighborhood watch signs throughout the complex.
The complex owner will have to cooperate with the borough Office of Emergency Management in connection with the development of appropriate emergency procedures and must be willing to consider the implementation of any additional recommendations that the Sayreville Police Department may have with respect to security at the complex.
Sayreville Police Chief Edward Szkodny did not return calls seeking comment for this story.
Borough Attorney Judy Verrone said Hillside Estates was “amenable to settling” the issue by providing the additional security and working with the police department.
“I guess both parties felt this was the way to go about it,” Bertrand said.
The current borough ordinance will be amended within 90 days of the settlement’s authorization. Borough officials are awaiting the signed agreement from Hillside Estates, Verrone said.