County makes $1.9M offer for Old Bridge site
Proposes 180-bed care center near Marlboro Road
BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer
Middlesex County officials have pinpointed a location for the proposed 180-bed extended-care facility off Route 18 in Old Bridge.

"Acquisition of this site will bring us one step closer to fulfilling my dream of having all of the county's 360 extended-care capacity housed in modern, comfortable and effective facilities," Middlesex County Freeholder Director David Crabiel said.

Situated on the Crossroads redevelopment parcel, the 14.8- acre site has been appraised by the county at about $1.9 million. The freeholders submitted an offer of that amount to the township, which will be considered by the Township Council at its next meeting. Though the township's redevelopment agency has appraised the land, the mayor and council are planning to obtain their own, independent appraisal.

The project will be the county's second 180-bed extended-care facility, the first being the Roosevelt Care Center, in Edison. The new facility will be modeled after the first, Crabiel said. The freeholders are hoping to retain the same architect who handled that Roosevelt Care Center project in 2005. One minor change, however, would be to enlarge the coffee shop.

County officials are hoping to break ground by spring 2008 and complete the project sometime in 2009, Crabiel said.

"This is clearly something that enhances the quality of life for the people in Old Bridge," Mayor Jim Phillips said. "As you get closer to the finish line, farther from the starting line, everyone needs some help."

Located on the 500-acre Crossroads tract, the site is between Marlboro and Greystone Roads and close to Routes 9 and 18, according to the county. The site was chosen over another possible option in town because of its larger expanse. Crabiel said the other possible site, owned by Raritan Bay Medical Center, contained wetlands.

Phillips pointed out that the proposed location is adjacent to other senior and care facilities, such as Raritan Bay's Old Bridge division, Maher Manor, the Chuck Costello Center, the Lutheran Church Home assisted living facility, and Mimi Road. It will also be near the 1,700-acre Phillips Preserve, he said.

"It's going to be a nice area of town," Phillips said. "I know that the freeholders are on a fast track with this. Freeholder Crabiel has kind of made this his mission to move this along," Phillips said.

The mayor said he has recused himself from the proceedings surrounding the project because of his capacity as Middlesex County treasurer.

The new facility will allow for the remaining 180 patients at the old Roosevelt Hospital in Edison to be moved from the aging structure. Constructed during the Depression era as a tuberculosis hospital and considered a historic building, the facility is not sufficient to meet the needs of its current population, Crabiel said. Once the building is empty, it will be converted to senior housing, he said.

What will be different in the new facility from other private ones of its nature is that everyone will receive the same level of care, regardless of their financial status, Phillips said.

"We take care of the indigent, the poor, which we want to do," Crabiel said. "We have an obligation as elected officials at the county level to take care of these people, I believe."

Old Bridge Councilman Richard Greene said that while he does not have a problem with bringing this type of facility to the town, he does have several issues with the project as a whole. He addressed some of those concerns at Monday's council meeting, when the budget was introduced.

"I just raised a question on this property, because in the budget that [Phillips] presented in July, he's counting on $2.2 million for the sale of this land," Greene said. "He's got a problem in the budget, and he's scurrying around trying to make up for this $2.2 million shortfall."

Phillips said his budget included an estimated $1.8 million for the sale of land to the county for this project, and an additional $400,000 for the sale of other foreclosed lands in town, which is the amount the town received last year from those sales.

Greene voted against the adoption of the budget.

"This is a one-shot revenue that he's looking for to close his budget problem," Greene said. "What about next year, how is he going to get that? Is he going to sell more land?"

Phillips said it is his plan to do whatever he can to achieve property tax relief for residents. Citing a zero tax increase budget this year, and during his first year as mayor, he said he will continue to use management tools to keep taxes down.

According to Phillips, the project is no different from those of years past, when the township has allowed for land sales that would be for the good of the public.

"Every one of those times, Rich Greene has been a proponent of it," Phillips said. "I think he has selective amnesia about when we sell the land, and when we don't."

One such instance, Phillips said, was when the council, including Greene, voted to sell property to the housing authority for Maher Manor and Costello Homes in November 2000.

The new facility would stand across Marlboro Road from the proposed data storage centers, to which Greene is also opposed. He has said the Crossroads property should remain open space.

According to Greene, he heard that the county's appraisal came in at $1 million, which is $900,000 less than what they are offering for the parcel. He said he also finds it suspect that the township is going out for a third appraisal.

The county used Woodbridge-based Fleming White Appraisers, which in a letter dated Sept. 18 presented a figure of $1,915,000 for the parcel in question.

Despite Phillips' recusal, Greene still had questions about the integrity of those involved with the project.

"I'm not against a nursing home, but I believe the county runs Old Bridge, not Mayor Phillips, and I think they're working behind the scenes to help him with this problem, to close the gap in the budget," Greene said. "I think this is all about the county coming to his rescue."

Phillips refuted the claim, citing Crabiel's director's message in January, which stated his goal of solving the county's extended-care facility issue. At the time, Phillips said, Crabiel stated that he would like to bring such a facility to the southern portion of the county, and more specifically, to Old Bridge.

"It's just a matter of the county recognizing a need, that senior citizens, those in need of care, should not be kicked to the curb," Phillips said.