Emotions High After Potter’s Farm Inspection

By Allison Perrine

HOLMDEL – “Jarring” and “sad” were the best words Holmdel resident Yeugenia Samardin could use to describe her feelings when she got a true visual of the construction project being proposed for the old Potter’s Farm site on Red Hill Road.

Almost two years after the century-old working farm – which has long met the eyes of motorists get- ting on and off Garden State Parkway Exit 114 – was sold in January 2020, residents walked the site alongside township zoning officials for a site inspection to gain a better understanding of what exists there today and what it could look like in the future. An application brought by The Enclave at Holmdel, Inc. nonprofit sits before the zoning board seeking approval to build a memory care facility at the site with 105 residential units. At the inspection Nov. 6, the grounds were staked to show attendees where the buildings and roads would be erected. “It was very jarring to see how much of the land they’re proposing to cover. They’re basically proposing to cover the entire land which is now a pristine, beautiful meadow and farmland,” said Samardin. “I understand that it’s a dementia care facility and that that’s presumably a noble thing, to have people treated for dementia.

But from the research that I have done, we don’t have a need for more dementia beds in Holmdel.” Samardin toured the site alongside her 16-year-old son Jacob, a junior Holmdel High School student who established the Preserve Potter’s Farm For Open Space petition. To date, it has garnered 1,287 signatures. Jacob said as someone who has his driver’s permit, he often passes the farmland and feels a connection to its four-legged residents. “I love animals. I love nature. And just hearing that this historic farm is basically going to get built upon kind of hurt my feelings,” said Jacob, who lives in a neighborhood that abuts the Potter’s Farm property. Animals will not be completely absent from the property, according to project architect David Hoglund. The plans include space for a secure “little barnyard” that can house “a few goats and chickens” but not anything that could be categorized as a “working farm,” he said at the Sept. 22 zoning board meeting. Potter Brothers LLC owned the site for many years. The Enclave – an entity affiliated with the United Methodist Homes of New Jersey – purchased the property in 2020 for the purposes of providing care for those with dementia in a residential setting, according to the township. Now the plan is to build the assisted living facility so long as the zoning board approves the necessary land use relief.

According to the project narrative, The Enclave will consist of “a state-of-the-art residential memory support program” along with a “variety” of related programs and educational offerings. The residences will be in multiresident house modules organized around a town center building and activity pavilion with amenities and programming for residents. In part, the center will include a grocery store, bistro and auditorium, and the pavilion will feature club rooms, a salon and fitness room. In May, UMC and The Enclave received a Certificate of Need from the state Department of Health permitting the construction of the project. According to the narrative, the need for The Enclave’s proposed services “is supported by the rapid growth of the elderly population in New Jersey and, in particular, within the primary service area in Monmouth County surrounding the facility.” It also notes that the project would “meet the existing and future need for memory care options while increasing the availability of beds for individuals who are Medicaid eligible.”

The facility would not be limited to Holmdel residents. The primary market area for The Enclave would touch 19 zip codes throughout Monmouth County – an area about 21 miles north to south by 18 miles west to east. The applicant projects that there will be about 280,735 residents within that area in 2025, about 21.1 percent of whom will be 65 or older, 9.3 percent 75 or older or 2.6 percent 85 or older. At the Nov. 3 zoning board meeting, licensed professional engineer Hal Simoff, who specializes in traffic engineering, said some changes were made to the plans after discussing details with fire and emergency medical personnel in Holmdel. That includes ensuring elevators are wide enough to fit a stretcher; widening all interior and exterior entrances to 36 inches; having no steps to any entrances into the houses; widening ambulance access roads; and more.

Board chair Ralph Blumenthal highlighted the importance of emergency vehicles being able to easily navigate the complex when needed. “With 100 seniors, it’s much more likely that there will be medical incidences requiring (visits from) ambulances,” he said. Board vice chair Demetri Orfanitopoulos, who is a member of the first aid squad, echoed that concern and said that he wants to be prepared for the maximum number of calls expected. “If we build it thinking there’s only going to be two, three (emergency calls) a year – what happens if it goes the other way?” he questioned. “Whatever we do approve… if we do approve this, is going to be left in this town forever.” Cindy Jacques, vice president of Housing and Community Initiatives at United Methodist Communities, assured that “most of the ambulance responses are planned,” typically for after observation of a resident, but unplanned 911 calls are “very infrequent.” According to Jacques, the average resident at the facility would be in their late 80s and would typically spend about 18 months to two years at the facility until they “expire.” The hearing will continue in December when further testimony will be heard.

The article originally appeared in the November 18 – 24, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.