By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — The mayor and a township committeeman voted against the renewal of a liquor license for a site proposed for an alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility.
The resolution passed, though, in a 3-2 vote, resulting in the renewal of a liquor license for RIYA Cranbury (Staybridge Suites) for 2015-16. Staybridge Suites is located at 1272 South River Road.
“Their interest in our town is quite a quandary,” Committeeman Dan Mulligan, who voted against the license renewal said. “One month they want to sell alcohol and the next month they want to treat people who drink alcohol.”
RIYA Cranbury LLC owns the hotel. Alpha Healing Center is looking to take the hotel over and operate a rehabilitation center at the site.
There will be a Zoning Board hearing on an application for a use variance at 7:30 p.m. on July 1 in the large group room at Cranbury School.
The application proposes adapting the existing 87-room hotel into a privately owned inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
The for-profit facility would be licensed by the state after the conversion of the ground floor into common space.
There would be approximately 50 rooms that would accommodate about 100 patients (two per room).
The facility would have a commercial kitchen, dining room, administrative office, recreation facilities, etc. There would be around 36 full-time employees during regular business hours and about 20 after-hours employeess including security staff.
Patients would be there on a voluntary basis but they would have limited access to the outdoors and the environment would be heavily controlled by security.
Daily schedules would include therapy, training, meals and activities. Medical detoxification and a dispensary would be made available to inpatients only. Visiting hours would be limited.
According to Municipal Clerk/Assistant Administrator Kathleen Cunningham, RIYA Cranbury has had the liquor license for four years and is not allowed to sell it.
“The person who runs Staybridge is applying for the variance,” she said. “If granted the variance, that person would have to let Cranbury know what to do with the liquor license.”
