Controversial CareOne's Expansion Plan Approved

The Board of Adjustment approved application to expand its facility Monday night.

CareOne is a rehabilitation and residential facility for senior citizens on Black Oak Ridge Road. The number of beds will increase from 126 beds to 189; of the 63 new beds, 41 will be for nurses who live on the campus.

The facility’s footprint will also increase from 29,000 square feet to 47,000.

A small, but vocal, group of residents spoke out against the application. The residents live on Black Oak Ridge Road, Mandeville Drive, and other nearby roadways.

“We’re not getting anything good out of you going here,” said Walter Meyer, a Mandeville Drive resident.

Some wanted officials from the facility to take responsibility for the alleged water runoff problem that's become increasingly worse. One resident said the water has flowed down from the CareOne property and into his house.

The drainage system at CareOne will be improved as part of the application.

Board member Susan Peracchio challenged the residents to be more proactive in finding a solution to the problem rather than just to blame CareOne.

“What have you done as neighbors to fix the problem,” Peracchio asked the audience before the board voted.

Residents said that parking would continue to be a problem despite the fact that the facility’s parking lot is expanding to accommodate the expected increased use of the property. They said that visitors constantly park their vehicles on township streets.

Other residents said the lighting in the parking lot is too bright and that more plants should be installed around the perimeter of the property to prevent them from seeing CareOne from their homes.

Residents were invited to a meet and greet earlier this month at CareOne to discuss the proposed changes. Some residents said they never received an invitation to such an event.

Other residents testified that they did not receive a letter from CareOne informing them of the application and when the board was scheduled to hear it. CareOne was required by law to inform every resident within 200 feet of its application.

It was not known if the application must now go before the municipal and county Planning Boards.

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