Van Drew, Andrzejczak Call on State to Halt Patsy’s Way Project

COURT HOUSE – Senator Jeff Van Drew and Assemblyman Sgt. Bob Andrzejczak have requested that Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard Constable halt a project in Middle Township that would consist of group homes. The legislators requested that the department immediately halt and review the appropriateness of the project in its proposed location, expressing concern that the area lacks the appropriate infrastructure and services for the planned development.
The proposed development, called Patsy’s Way, is an affordable housing project that is slated to be built with the use of federal Sandy relief funding. The project was initially presented by the Department of Community Affairs as a development of 10 single family homes, in conjunction with the United Cerebral Palsy organization, for people with special needs. In a letter sent yesterday to Commissioner Constable, Senator Van Drew noted that the initial proposal “created some concern in the community due to the lack of infrastructure (no sidewalks, poor lighting), a lack of access to public transportation, and the remote location of the development.”
“What was a difficult situation has now become an impossible one,” Senator Van Drew wrote. “It is no longer a project intended to provide a home for people with special needs, but rather it is now calling for group homes of newly released psychiatric hospital patients. These are patients that may have a history of violence and legal issues, possible Megan’s law violators, or people who suffer from substance abuse. This is truly an inappropriate location for this type of project, again due to the lack of access of public transportation and a lack of infrastructure.
“Assemblyman Andrzejczak and I respectfully request that you halt this project immediately, and order a review by DCA staff of the appropriateness of its intended purpose. As far as we are concerned, this project should not move forward, in part because we do not believe the project should be eligible for Sandy relief funding. Since it has changed so much from its initial iteration, I would argue it would no longer qualify, and that those funds could be put to much better use in the Township or County,” the Senator added.
The above release was received from Senator Jeff Van Drew’s Office.