Monroe Township board approves Parker expansion adding assisted‑living units and adult day care

The Monroe Township Zoning Board approved an application from Parker to expand its existing elder‑care campus, adding a new household-shaped wing that converts some long‑term‑care rooms to assisted‑living units and adds an adult day‑care program on the ground floor.

Architect testimony and site plans presented to the board showed the new footprint would “be nearly identical to the other 3 households” on the campus, with the principal exterior change being second‑floor balconies on the new wing and on parts of the existing building. The project also includes a dedicated entrance for the adult day program, interior connections to existing food‑service and housekeeping circulation, and matching exterior materials and colors to unify the campus. Architect Steve (identified in testimony as the original project architect) said, “It’s gonna be gorgeous.”

Aaron Kardon, a professional planner for T&M Associates, told the board the site was well suited to the proposed uses and recommended the variances needed under New Jersey land‑use law. Kardon said the expansion would provide “31 new units of assisted living within the municipality” and that adding an adult day program on‑site would consolidate services. He also cited demographic data to justify the request: he testified the median age in Monroe from the 2023 American Community Survey five‑year estimate is 57.3 and that 38.9% of the township’s population is 65 or older.

The adult day program will be licensed for up to 60 participants, the applicant said, with a current daily average around 50. Operators told the board about transportation arrangements: about six vans will serve the program, and the applicant estimated roughly 80% of participants will arrive by van while the remainder will arrive by private vehicle. Testimony from the traffic and operations witnesses said the project includes on‑site parking configured to meet projected demand; the applicant said the site plan provides 158 parking spaces and that professionals calculated that is about 27 spaces more than the projected demand with the expansion. The applicant also agreed to two “EV‑ready” parking stalls to be shown on revised plans.

Board members pressed the applicant on operations and safety. The applicant’s operations representative confirmed the assisted‑living units will follow a social‑model assisted‑living standard rather than a designated memory‑care program; memory‑care residents would remain in the licensed nursing areas. The applicant said existing security features (swipe cards, fobs and layered backups) would remain in place and that fencing in courtyard areas would match the existing six‑foot iron fencing used on campus.

The application asked the board for use‑variance relief (d‑variances) and several c‑variance items (setbacks, buffers and related site requirements). Planner Kardon testified that the expansion would be a less intense use than a full nursing‑home build‑out and said the addition would not produce substantial detriment to the public good. The applicant’s engineer and planner described stormwater measures that rely on existing basins and added infiltration/porous‑pavement treatments and agreed to provide operation and maintenance documentation for any porous or infiltration systems added to the site.

Several nearby residents and family members spoke during the public comment period in support of the project, including Donna Rendiro, whose mother is a long‑time resident; Rendiro called Parker “an extended family” and urged approval so local seniors can “age in place.” Other speakers described positive experiences with Parker’s existing services.

After discussion and conditions requested by the board’s professionals (engineering and planning), a motion to approve the application carried on roll call. The board’s roll‑call vote recorded seven affirmative votes (Miss Carey, Mr. Lupo, Mr. Masters, Mr. Tansy, Mr. Jaffe, Mr. Kroll and Chairman Lupata) and no recorded negative votes. The approval was made with conditions: the applicant must comply with engineering and planning memos, revise plans to show two EV‑ready spaces, provide updated landscape plans addressing buffer and planting details, provide stormwater operation and maintenance documentation, and coordinate signage and lighting with township staff and professionals.

The board’s materials and the transcript show the approval will be memorialized in a written resolution and that the applicant agreed to work with the township on final plan revisions requested by board professionals. The applicant also confirmed it will follow prior resolution conditions (including routing delivery and construction vehicles to turn left when exiting onto Schoolhouse Road).

The board did not approve any change to the facility’s licensing obligations; all healthcare licensing and memory‑care designations remain subject to New Jersey Department of Health review and approval.