Residents press council about $12 million Sunrise Village purchase and YMCA partnership; mayor says closing, funding, and partners are still being finalized

Tom Harris, a resident who said he had previously managed the site known as Sunrise Village, used the council’s public-comment period to press for documents and answers about the project’s ownership, safety, funding and purpose. "Who currently owns that property? Has the township bought it? Has the township got an appraisal on the property? Is the township going into this as a joint venture with the YMCA?" Harris asked, listing inspections, security and occupancy as specific concerns.

Mayor John O'Sullivan answered in the meeting that the purchase price under discussion is $12 million and that the Raritan Bay YMCA obtained an appraisal. "It's It's no taxpayer dollars at all," the mayor said, stating that funds for the township's contribution come from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the federal Community Development Block Grant program. He quantified the mix as roughly $4.5 million from the township contribution, $3.8 million from the trust fund and about $700,000 from CDBG, and said additional funding is coming from the YMCA, Middlesex County, the State Department of Community Affairs and other sources.

The mayor said the property has not closed and that the Raritan Bay YMCA has not yet accepted title because the site is completing a punch list and does not have a certificate of occupancy. He described the planned operations as being run by the YMCA, not by the township, and said the facility is intended primarily for people with medical needs with some units set aside for emergency housing after disasters. "It is not a women's shelter. It never has been a women's shelter. It's not a homeless shelter," he said, while adding that emergency placements (for example, after a fire) would be possible and that domestic-violence victims could be referred there.

Residents at the microphone asked follow-ups about eligibility, whether undocumented immigrants would qualify, and which formal agreements are in place. The mayor said formal closing documents and any signed partnership agreement with Raritan Bay Medical Center will be public when available. "When we have an agreement with the Raritan Bay Medical Center that's signed, we will share that. It's a public document," he said.

Other commenters questioned long-term occupancy and financial exposure if units go unfilled. The mayor and council described the purchase as equity-funded and said units will have leases; they argued that the YMCA ownership model and partner funding reduce the township’s fiscal risk. Several speakers asked for a clear, written description of eligibility criteria and oversight/reporting mechanisms; the mayor said those documents will be shared if and when agreements are finalized.

The council did not vote on the property purchase during the meeting; the mayor’s remarks and answers were delivered during the public comment period and in response to specific resident questions. The next procedural step cited was completion of the seller’s punch list and a closing that has not yet occurred.