Township officials say that as they did deeper into a proposal for a halfway house, they're getting more concerned.
READINGTON -- A non-permitted apartment at a former bed-and-breakfast inn has given township officials the ammunition they needed to withdraw zoning approval for a group proposing to use the site as a halfway house -- at least temporarily.
But Mayor Betty Ann Fort told residents at a Township Committee meeting Monday that she's learned more about the group submitting the proposal, which has her more worried than ever.
"This is my new full-time job," she said of questioning Waypointe, which is part of High Focus Centers. The group plans on using the former Holly Thorn Bed and Breakfast on Readington Road to house five men with mental health challenges, ages 18-26, for up to six months of short-term care. Waypointe provides "outpatient behavioral health and addiction treatment programs in New Jersey," its website reports.
What we know:
* Waypointe received earlier township zoning approval for its plans, but officials have since discovered that the property includes an apartment that never went through the permitting process.
"Because of that illegal apartment, the zoning officer withdrew the zoning approval until that is remedied," Fort said Monday. She added that since "definitions of 'disabled' and 'mentally ill' are all over the map," the township's Board of Adjustment will now determine "if this facility meets the definition of what they said it was, and if it fits with what the zoning allows."
Waypointe officials have responded to the township's notice of the zoning violation with a letter stating they believe the proposed use is permitted.
Residents protest halfway house
* Waypointe doesn't have a license, township officials discovered after submitting an Open Public Records Act request with the state Department of Human Resources. "We know the application for a license was dated May 2015, but it hasn't been granted yet," Fort said.
Waypointe's 173-page license application, is "very interesting reading," Deputy Mayor Liz Duffy said Monday. Committeeman Sam Tropello said it asks "for two waivers. One is that they wouldn't have to have an annual review," he said. "The second one would pretty much give them carte blanche forever. Once it was approved, it would be very hard to get them out."
* Township officials can't discuss Waypointe with the Department of Human Services. Fort said she tried contacting the department about Waypointe's license application, and found out "the Division won't talk to anybody after an application has been submitted." Township officials can submit a statement, and Fort said she's working on getting that together.
When residents asked Monday what they could do to help, Fort said: "Letters. Write letters." They can go to: N.J. Dept. of Human Services, Office of Licensing, Mental Health Services, PO Box 727, Trenton, NJ 08625-0727.
* Waypointe officials canceled a community meeting on their proposal the day before it was to be held and have since notified township officials "they'll address concerns of immediate neighbors by speaking to them individually," Tropello said.
What we don't know:
* Residents have many questions about the project. "We were anticipating we'd be having a meeting with Waypointe," Char Sherrod, a Readington Road resident, said Monday night. She spoke on behalf of many of her neighbors, who were among the more than 40 people there to find out more about the situation.
"I have over 600 signatures on these petitions," Sherrod said, waving an inch-thick pile of papers in the air. "This is pure concern that they won't meet with us, that they won't be transparent." Neighbors question "What would be going in there? What would be the operations in that building?" she said. "How would it affect our community?"
* Who owns Waypointe? Neighbors have turned to sleuthing online to find out what they can about Waypointe and High Focus Centers. "If we could say we're finding information about them that is positive," that would help allay worries, Sherrod said. "But we haven't found any."
* How would potential patients at Waypointe be selected? "We don't even know the demographic of those who would be served," Sherrod said. "They talk about most likely to be accepted and not likely to be accepted, but 'not likely' is still encompassing."
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.