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MONROE: Residents ‘beg’ council to move Parker project

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   MONROE — Residents appealed to the Township Council on Monday night to relocate a planned nursing home and complained they were not allowed to speak at the Nov. 28 Planning Board meeting when the application was approved.
   ”I absolutely mean no disrespect to anyone here. I hope you don’t shut me down, but I want to talk about Parker going in on Schoolhouse Road,” said resident Pam Sandifer. “(Superior Court) Judge (James) Hurley in the litigation ‘gagged us,’ saying we can’t speak at the Planning Board. We’re very upset about what is going on here. This is a part of Schoolhouse Road that is so narrow that (when) a school bus comes down street, we have to go onto someone’s lawn to let the school bus go by.”
   Parker Memorial Homes is a New Brunswick-based nonprofit organization founded in 1907 that provides nursing home and assisted living facilities at several locations in New Jersey, according to the organization.
   The organization is looking to build a 128-unit facility on 14 acres in the R-30 zone on Schoolhouse Road.
   Planning Board members turned down the controversial application last year, and the organization appealed to the court.
   Judge Hurley, sitting in New Brunswick, remanded the case back to the board Oct. 11 and ordered the panel to not re-open public comments.
   According to the order, Judge Hurley said “the public comment and testimony portion of the Planning Board hearing having been previously closed shall not be reopened.”
   According to the ruling, “This court hereby remands the Planning Board for a decision on the preliminary and final site plan application as originally submitted to the Planning Board, seeking approval and its proposed long-term care community facility with 96 ‘nursing home’ beds and 32 ‘assisted living’ beds.”
   Monroe Township filed an appeal according to court documents, but that appeal was denied by Judge Hurley.
   Planning Board members unanimously approved the application Nov. 28, giving the green light for the $30 million facility, according to the board’s resolution.
   Residents living near the proposed facility criticized the plan during hearings last year and continue to oppose the home.
   During comments at Monday’s council meeting, one by one, concerned residents took the opportunity to voice concerns after being told they could not speak during the Planning Board meeting Nov. 28.
   ”You’re going to allow, in addition to the traffic that there is now, 600 additional cars on this already small, little, narrow road, that’s got ditches on both sides,” Ms. Sandifer said. “We were told the town was going to appeal the judge’s decision. (The Planning Board) assured us that in the November meeting when Parker was on the agenda that it was not going to be ruled on; that they were going through with trying to get the appeal and assured us that nothing would happen.”
   According to Ms. Sandifer, when the neighbors appeared at the meeting, the Parker Home application was “approved for a preliminary and a final” site plan without an opportunity for further public comment.
   ”(Parker Homes) have changed their entire planning,” Ms. Sandifer said. “They’re coming up with a whole new set of plans, which was denied one year ago.”
   She said the group changed its plan by removing 32 beds to put more in line as an assisted living facility.
   ”All of a sudden last week, (the Planning Board) can all of a sudden approve it when a year ago, they told Parker they couldn’t approve it?” Ms. Sandifer said. “We are begging the board and the town to please offer Parker a land swap. This type of facility is so intensive, it does not belong on a small, residential road that is narrow.”
   Ms. Sandifer pointed out the dangers of the road to the council and a serious motor vehicle accident that occurred that evening prior to her attending the meeting.
   ”Tonight, just tonight, one of the neighbors hit a person from one of the other assisted living (facilities),” Ms. Sandifer said. “I don’t know if she is dead. They had to call in a helicopter and (MedEvac) her out because the driver) couldn’t see her. The roads are narrow. The roads are dark.”
   Ms. Sandifer said the facility belongs out on Perrineville Road, on a county road, somewhere that can handle that kind of traffic.
   ”As I understand, I’m not a lawyer, it went to court,” Council President Gerald Tamburro said. “The court ruled against the township whether the Planning Board had a choice or not. They had to approve it, otherwise, the judge had to approve (it) for the total package.”
   Ms. Sandifer said the residents hired their own attorney at more than $30,000 and then were not allowed to speak against the project.
   ”First of all, we were told by (Business Administrator) Wayne Hamilton to get ourselves an attorney,” Ms. Sandifer said. “We paid for an attorney. We expended more than $30,000 from people who are laid off, people who had damages from the storm. We could all use that money back. We expended over $30,000 to fight this, and we didn’t even get a chance to speak at the meeting. We were shut down at every step of the way.”
   Resident Russell Hughes, of Monroe, questioned the possible redesign of the intersection and flow of traffic on the street that would interfere with his line of work as a truck driver and being able to safely maneuver in and out of his driveway, which is located directly across the street from the proposed site.
   ”It hasn’t been pinned down,” Township Engineer Ernie Feist said. “It’s still subject to final design and review. The design that looked to make the most sense was to create a T-intersection with Schoolhouse Road, allowing one way heading easterly onto Schoolhouse.”
   Resident Pat Small became emotional speaking to the council.
   ”I have lived here since 1994,” said Ms. Small as she tried to hold back her tears. “I have built my home. In front of me, I have an open field.”
   According to Ms. Small, she will sell her property and move because of Parker moving into her neighborhood.
   ”Come Wednesday, my house goes up for sale because of Parker,” Ms. Small said as she began crying. “They are chasing me out of my home that my father built with me.”