Post by richardkelsey on Jul 21, 2010 12:40:14 GMT -5
Neighbors upset with plans for stately home
Freehold Borough residence may house adults recovering from drug, alcohol addiction
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Residents of the Monument Street neighborhood in Freehold Borough are angry and frustrated because another issue has come to the doorstep of what they say is their “fragile” neighborhood.
Specifically, the residents are upset because a home that formerly housed a bed and breakfast inn is now proposed to become a home for adults who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction,
The home at 15 Monument St., Freehold Borough, is expected to be run by Oxford House, which “is a concept in recovery from drug and alcoholic addiction. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run self-supporting and drug-free home.”
The Oxford House Internet website states that the number of residents in an Oxford House may range from six to 15.
There are houses for men, houses for women, and houses for women and children. There are Oxford Houses in metropolitan areas such as New York City and Washington, D.C.
“Each house represents a remarkably effective and low-cost method of preventing relapse. This was the purpose of the first Oxford House, established in 1975, and this purpose is served day by day in house after house in each of over 1,200 houses in the United States,” according to the website.
Debra Esola, of Monument Street, said, “The housing on the streets bordering Monument Square Park is some of the most attractive and sought after in the borough. Many current and past homeowners, including myself, have had the experience of moving to Freehold on the basis of seeing this particular historic residential area as well as the downtown’s sidewalk cafes.
“Almost everyone has a family member or friend who struggles with a drug or alcohol problem. Everyone deserves a chance to get back on his or her feet and have a place to live. However, I believe it is extremely short-sighted to take a landmark house in one of the most historic sections of town and turn it into a rental with residents who are staying short-term with no real interest or stake in the town or neighborhood in which they live,” she said.
Monument Street resident Ann D’Arrigo said, “For what it’s worth, I am devastated.”
D’Arrigo said she is living in the house of her dreams in a neighborhood with good people and “now it is being destroyed.”
“For many of us, there are no options. The real estate market is not on the side of the seller. I have enjoyed having sleepovers with my great-nieces and nephews, baking, crafting, reading and just plain having fun. Their parents will not let them stay at my house if the plans for (Oxford House) go through. Isn’t there a floor available at the rug mill (apartment complex) that could accommodate people who are trying to help themselves?” she asked.
Peter Berryman, the owner of the home which formerly housed the Hepburn House bed and breakfast, did not respond to questions that were sent to him via email by the News Transcript.
In prior years, residents of the Monument Street neighborhood have fought to protect the area — which is in the vicinity of the Monmouth County Court House — from going over to commercial uses. Some of the neighborhood’s homes have been permitted to have a business use, others have not.
Freehold Borough code enforcement officer and zoning officer Hank Stryker III said an application was sent to the zoning office to request that the status of the bed and breakfast facility be returned to R-7, which is single-family residential zoning.
“The owner (Berryman) made application to the zoning office to have the bed and breakfast return to its previous R-7 zoning status. It is already residential zoning and it can be done,” Stryker said. “When it became a bed and breakfast years ago, it was allowed under a conditional use, which means that under the zoning, certain things are allowed and other things are not.”
Stryker said the current owner received approval for the residential status.
“The owner made application to turn the bed and breakfast into a family home legally. This can be done without an application to any board. It is a permitted use,” Stryker said.
The certificate of occupancy (CO) has been submitted to the code enforcement office by Oxford House.
According to Stryker, the owner has leased the property to Oxford House and the CO is pending as the borough waits for all permits, certifications and licenses from Oxford House to be completed.
Stryker said the Oxford House on Monument Street will not be the only Oxford House in Freehold Borough, and he said there are other group homes in town as well. He said that from a code enforcement standpoint he has not seen any problems with the group homes.
Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina said, “We have received legal analysis that points to the fact that recovering drug and alcohol abusers are included in the definition under the federal Fair Housing Act.
“The conclusion reached by these courts states that recovering drug and alcohol abusers are handicapped as defined under the federal Rehabilitation Act. This means that municipalities cannot discriminate against them or require stricter regulations than for any other residential use,” he said.
Bellina said a public meeting has been scheduled between borough officials and the owners of the property, Peter and Suzanne Berryman, along with their attorney, Timothy Provost of Freehold. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. July 27 in Borough Hall.
He said people who own property within 200 feet of the home on Monument Street that is proposed to be leased to Oxford House have been notified about the July 27 meeting.
“We have also extended an invitation to representatives of Oxford House to attend the meeting,” Bellina said, adding that borough officials will ask the Berrymans to provide a description of the operation of Oxford House.
Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins said she had previously met with Peter Berryman and his attorney and said Berryman told her he had attempted to sell the Monument Street home for two years as a bed and breakfast inn or as a single-family residence, but that he had been unable to do so.
She said Berryman agreed to have a community meeting in order to address the concerns of the residents
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-07-21/Front_Page/Neighbors_upset_with_plans_for_stately_home.html
Freehold Borough residence may house adults recovering from drug, alcohol addiction
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Residents of the Monument Street neighborhood in Freehold Borough are angry and frustrated because another issue has come to the doorstep of what they say is their “fragile” neighborhood.
Specifically, the residents are upset because a home that formerly housed a bed and breakfast inn is now proposed to become a home for adults who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction,
The home at 15 Monument St., Freehold Borough, is expected to be run by Oxford House, which “is a concept in recovery from drug and alcoholic addiction. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run self-supporting and drug-free home.”
The Oxford House Internet website states that the number of residents in an Oxford House may range from six to 15.
There are houses for men, houses for women, and houses for women and children. There are Oxford Houses in metropolitan areas such as New York City and Washington, D.C.
“Each house represents a remarkably effective and low-cost method of preventing relapse. This was the purpose of the first Oxford House, established in 1975, and this purpose is served day by day in house after house in each of over 1,200 houses in the United States,” according to the website.
Debra Esola, of Monument Street, said, “The housing on the streets bordering Monument Square Park is some of the most attractive and sought after in the borough. Many current and past homeowners, including myself, have had the experience of moving to Freehold on the basis of seeing this particular historic residential area as well as the downtown’s sidewalk cafes.
“Almost everyone has a family member or friend who struggles with a drug or alcohol problem. Everyone deserves a chance to get back on his or her feet and have a place to live. However, I believe it is extremely short-sighted to take a landmark house in one of the most historic sections of town and turn it into a rental with residents who are staying short-term with no real interest or stake in the town or neighborhood in which they live,” she said.
Monument Street resident Ann D’Arrigo said, “For what it’s worth, I am devastated.”
D’Arrigo said she is living in the house of her dreams in a neighborhood with good people and “now it is being destroyed.”
“For many of us, there are no options. The real estate market is not on the side of the seller. I have enjoyed having sleepovers with my great-nieces and nephews, baking, crafting, reading and just plain having fun. Their parents will not let them stay at my house if the plans for (Oxford House) go through. Isn’t there a floor available at the rug mill (apartment complex) that could accommodate people who are trying to help themselves?” she asked.
Peter Berryman, the owner of the home which formerly housed the Hepburn House bed and breakfast, did not respond to questions that were sent to him via email by the News Transcript.
In prior years, residents of the Monument Street neighborhood have fought to protect the area — which is in the vicinity of the Monmouth County Court House — from going over to commercial uses. Some of the neighborhood’s homes have been permitted to have a business use, others have not.
Freehold Borough code enforcement officer and zoning officer Hank Stryker III said an application was sent to the zoning office to request that the status of the bed and breakfast facility be returned to R-7, which is single-family residential zoning.
“The owner (Berryman) made application to the zoning office to have the bed and breakfast return to its previous R-7 zoning status. It is already residential zoning and it can be done,” Stryker said. “When it became a bed and breakfast years ago, it was allowed under a conditional use, which means that under the zoning, certain things are allowed and other things are not.”
Stryker said the current owner received approval for the residential status.
“The owner made application to turn the bed and breakfast into a family home legally. This can be done without an application to any board. It is a permitted use,” Stryker said.
The certificate of occupancy (CO) has been submitted to the code enforcement office by Oxford House.
According to Stryker, the owner has leased the property to Oxford House and the CO is pending as the borough waits for all permits, certifications and licenses from Oxford House to be completed.
Stryker said the Oxford House on Monument Street will not be the only Oxford House in Freehold Borough, and he said there are other group homes in town as well. He said that from a code enforcement standpoint he has not seen any problems with the group homes.
Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina said, “We have received legal analysis that points to the fact that recovering drug and alcohol abusers are included in the definition under the federal Fair Housing Act.
“The conclusion reached by these courts states that recovering drug and alcohol abusers are handicapped as defined under the federal Rehabilitation Act. This means that municipalities cannot discriminate against them or require stricter regulations than for any other residential use,” he said.
Bellina said a public meeting has been scheduled between borough officials and the owners of the property, Peter and Suzanne Berryman, along with their attorney, Timothy Provost of Freehold. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. July 27 in Borough Hall.
He said people who own property within 200 feet of the home on Monument Street that is proposed to be leased to Oxford House have been notified about the July 27 meeting.
“We have also extended an invitation to representatives of Oxford House to attend the meeting,” Bellina said, adding that borough officials will ask the Berrymans to provide a description of the operation of Oxford House.
Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins said she had previously met with Peter Berryman and his attorney and said Berryman told her he had attempted to sell the Monument Street home for two years as a bed and breakfast inn or as a single-family residence, but that he had been unable to do so.
She said Berryman agreed to have a community meeting in order to address the concerns of the residents
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-07-21/Front_Page/Neighbors_upset_with_plans_for_stately_home.html