Developmentally Disabled Housing Approved

The council unanimously approved a resolution last week that will allow for an agreement with Our House Inc. for developmentally disabled housing at Helfreds Landing, Pearl Street and Burning Bush Road.

The resolution was initially tabled Nov. 29 because Councilman Filipe Pedroso wanted residents in that area to be made aware of the change in case they wanted to comment.

This resolution enables the use of the latter two sites instead of the originally planned homes on Foothill and Roanoke roads because plans for the purchases in those locations fell through.

Township administrator James Naples said Our House was planning to close on the Pearl Street property when, and if, the resolution was approved.

The developmentally disabled housing is part of the township’s COAH plan, which has already been submitted to the state.

Pedroso had expressed concern that residents should be aware of changes to housing in their neighborhoods.

But no one turned out to speak against or for the resolution at the Dec. 3 meeting.

Naples said the plan is a good one for the COAH requirements.

“We received a letter from the state commending Bridgewater on this,” he said.

What do you think about the change? Should residents have been made explicitly aware of this change, and does no comment mean everyone is OK with it?