By Chris Rotolo
HOLMDEL – The zoning board is inching closer to its vote on a proposed dementia center located at what is commonly known as the Potter’s Farm property on Red Hill Road, but not before applicant testimony illustrated what the parcel’s future could hold should the current pitch be denied.
During a June 29 continuation hearing, the applicant, United Methodist Communities, continued to make its case for a D1 use variance that would permit the construction of a residential assisted living community for those living with dementia or the degenerative brain disease Alzheimer’s.
The development would include a cluster of 15 separate residential dwellings with seven residences in each building, as well as self-contained amenities like a general store, a café, a recreational facility and an entertainment center.
The variance is specifically being sought to accommodate the amenities on this 18.5-acre plot of land, which sits adjacent to Garden State Parkway Exit 114, and shares a northern property line with homes on Highwood Court and Country View Road.
Applicant planner Jim Higgins of the Ocean Township firm James W. Higgins Associates, used his Wednesday evening testimony to depict potential alternative projects for the Potter’s Farm site, which would be permitted under the township’s current municipal land use law. Higgins described the construction of seven single-family homes that included an extension of Country View Road, which could serve as a primary thoroughfare through the community to Red Hill Road.
“I’m not saying this as a scare tactic. It’s just a very real possibility. (Country View Road) could run directly through the site and provide wonder full access to the (Garden State Parkway). And if someone comes in with a fully conforming application, the project couldn’t be stopped. In my opinion that’s not something that is desirable for the residents of Holmdel,” Higgins said.
Higgins noted that farming and agricultural developments are also acceptable uses and are permitted to include massive barn structures reaching 50 feet in height and spanning 120,000 square feet. The barns could be built up to 100 feet away from that northern property line, with equipment and vehicles parked up to 50 feet away from the property line. Chicken coops could
also stand 50 feet tall and silos are permitted to extend up to 62.5 feet in height.
The potential for municipal uses such as community parks, playgrounds and community buildings also exists and, according to Higgins, “there are no standards in (the township’s) ordinance covering this type of development, meaning you could have something with night lighting.”
Higgins added that the parkway access could make this public facility a desirable destination for locals and travelers alike.
“What could be constructed in this zone is much more than single-family residences. There is the potential for substantial negative impact on surrounding properties and much more intensive developments than what the applicant has proposed,” Higgins said.
He continued to insist that the Potter’s Farm parcel does permit the development of an assisted living facility for individuals with head injuries, despite pushback from board members.
“What is permitted on this site by virtue of the municipal land-use law is community residences for developmentally disabled individuals, community shelters for victims of domestic violence, community residences for terminally ill individuals, and community residences for persons with head injuries,” Higgins argued. “The definition of a person with a head
injury in the municipal land use law is one that has suf- fered an injury either by physical trauma or disease. Dementia would qualify as a head injury.”
Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of the nonprofit organization Alzheimer’s New Jersey, also provided testimony on behalf of the applicant, speaking to the need for a facility like this in the immediate area.
Despite the board determining that his qualifications did not meet expert status, they allowed Zaentz to speak. He said 1 in 10 individuals over the age of 65 are at risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, making New Jersey one of the leading states in the nation for at-risk population.
“Approximately 17 percent of New Jersey’s population is over 65. That number rises to 18 percent in Monmouth County and, according to the 2020 Census, that number jumps to 20 percent in Holmdel,” Zaentz said. “Between patients and caregivers, there
are approximately 600,000 people in New Jersey impacted by this disease.”
Higgins pointed to the expedited certificate of need granted by the state of New Jersey to the appli- cant. A certificate of need is granted to an applicant following a review of a site’s surrounding region, a de- termination that there is a demand for such a facility in that region, and a conclusion that the construction would not negatively impact any other medical facilities in that region.
As a further benefit to the town, Higgins noted that 10 percent of the residences available in this project would be set aside for individuals with Medicaid, allowing the township to include the dwellings in their affordable housing inventory. And because the dwellings are rented, Holmdel would receive double the credits toward its count.
The hearing will continue later this month when the zoning board meets July 20.
The article originally appeared in the July 7 – 13, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
