Post by richardkelsey on Jul 21, 2010 12:30:41 GMT -5
Bennett Street building will come back to life
New Horizons in Autism will operate day care center in historic Freehold structure
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — A historic building on Bennett Street that once housed school children and, more recently , the Freehold Borough Police Department will soon be alive again, this time as a day care center serving individuals with autism.
The building, which has lain dormant for several years, will house New Horizons in Autism, a day care center for adult and children with autism.
A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of renovations to the building was held on July 20. The building will become the primary corporate office for New Horizons in Autism, as well as a day care center.
The building on the 1-acre lot at the corner of Bennett and Hudson streets, formerly Freehold High School and later the Bennett Street School, is owned by U.S. Property Group.
Borough Councilman George Schnurr said, “This plan gives me a lot of satisfaction knowing that my role on the Borough Council and the Planning Board was to yield this result. When New Horizons in Autism occupies the building, it will be a win for area residents as the building will be used and not abandoned.
“It will be a win for New Horizons in Autism, which will now have the room to expand its services. It will be a win for the patients New Horizons helps. It will also be a win for the borough, as an eyesore will be fixed up, and it will be a win for the Historic Preservation Commission, as they now know that this historic structure will be maintained properly.
“It will be a win for the property owner, who now has a long-term tenant, and most of all it will be a win for the Freehold Borough taxpayer as we now expand our tax base. With so many positives, I could not think of a better result,” Schnurr added.
The mission of New Horizons in Autism is its “dedication to serving individuals with autism and their families in New Jersey by delivering community-based services, providing advocacy, support and technical assistance, increasing public awareness and education about autism, and contributing to the body of knowledge in the field of autism.”
The goal of the organization is the prevention of institutionalization. All efforts by New Horizons in Autism are individually targeted toward replacement of maladaptive behavior traits with improved socialization and other needed skills, according to the organization’s Internet website.
The Bennett Street building was the original Freehold High School from the time of its construction in the first decade of the 20th century until 1926 when a new high school (the current Freehold High School) was built on Broadway.
After the high school students moved out, the Bennett Street building was home to elementary school and intermediate school pupils until the late 1960s.
The police department moved into the building in 1970 and remained there until the new police headquarters in the redeveloped rug mill opened in the early 2000s.
The day care center for individuals with autism is a permitted use in the building. The historic appearance of the existing building must be incorporated into any additions that may be made to it, according to regulations approved by borough officials.
Schnurr said the redevelopment plan for the building was discussed with neighboring residents on several occasions in 2008 and he said the plan was developed with residents’ input.
The councilman said that in a best case scenario, New Horizons in Autism may be able to occupy the Bennett Street building by the end of the year.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-07-21/Front_Page/Bennett_Street_building_will_come_back_to_life.html
New Horizons in Autism will operate day care center in historic Freehold structure
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — A historic building on Bennett Street that once housed school children and, more recently , the Freehold Borough Police Department will soon be alive again, this time as a day care center serving individuals with autism.
The building, which has lain dormant for several years, will house New Horizons in Autism, a day care center for adult and children with autism.
A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of renovations to the building was held on July 20. The building will become the primary corporate office for New Horizons in Autism, as well as a day care center.
The building on the 1-acre lot at the corner of Bennett and Hudson streets, formerly Freehold High School and later the Bennett Street School, is owned by U.S. Property Group.
Borough Councilman George Schnurr said, “This plan gives me a lot of satisfaction knowing that my role on the Borough Council and the Planning Board was to yield this result. When New Horizons in Autism occupies the building, it will be a win for area residents as the building will be used and not abandoned.
“It will be a win for New Horizons in Autism, which will now have the room to expand its services. It will be a win for the patients New Horizons helps. It will also be a win for the borough, as an eyesore will be fixed up, and it will be a win for the Historic Preservation Commission, as they now know that this historic structure will be maintained properly.
“It will be a win for the property owner, who now has a long-term tenant, and most of all it will be a win for the Freehold Borough taxpayer as we now expand our tax base. With so many positives, I could not think of a better result,” Schnurr added.
The mission of New Horizons in Autism is its “dedication to serving individuals with autism and their families in New Jersey by delivering community-based services, providing advocacy, support and technical assistance, increasing public awareness and education about autism, and contributing to the body of knowledge in the field of autism.”
The goal of the organization is the prevention of institutionalization. All efforts by New Horizons in Autism are individually targeted toward replacement of maladaptive behavior traits with improved socialization and other needed skills, according to the organization’s Internet website.
The Bennett Street building was the original Freehold High School from the time of its construction in the first decade of the 20th century until 1926 when a new high school (the current Freehold High School) was built on Broadway.
After the high school students moved out, the Bennett Street building was home to elementary school and intermediate school pupils until the late 1960s.
The police department moved into the building in 1970 and remained there until the new police headquarters in the redeveloped rug mill opened in the early 2000s.
The day care center for individuals with autism is a permitted use in the building. The historic appearance of the existing building must be incorporated into any additions that may be made to it, according to regulations approved by borough officials.
Schnurr said the redevelopment plan for the building was discussed with neighboring residents on several occasions in 2008 and he said the plan was developed with residents’ input.
The councilman said that in a best case scenario, New Horizons in Autism may be able to occupy the Bennett Street building by the end of the year.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-07-21/Front_Page/Bennett_Street_building_will_come_back_to_life.html