I cannot understand how anyone can believe that having a facility for drug addicts would not negatively affect the surrounding property values and the quality of the town overall. Has everyone forgotten what the town was like in the late 1980s? Is the Sprout facility truly the highest value use for an ocean-facing lot in a historic town?
They did it at Mary’s Place, they may do it with Sprout, and if they do, then how long until a building on your block gets repurposed to become a facility for the treatment of drug addicts, sex offenders, alcoholics, etc?
Why would anyone,including the Zoning Board of Neptune, want to unleash such an enterprise as Sprout on Ocean Grove? They should want to boost real estate values — not destroy them. What about the Master Plan?
Curmudgeon: I don’t think that learning more about their Eatontown operation and more about the demographics of their clients will be important in the decision at the ZBA, which is essentially about zoning. But you may be right that knowing more might influence the opinions of Grovers. If you go to the meeting, you should be able to question the Sprout presenters.
Retired: I assure you that wherever there are people, there are drugs. Florida is filled with high-end drug rehab places all along the coast. There are also plenty of drugs in Florida
Sprout Health Group lists a facility in Eatontown on their website. It would be interesting to learn more about the experience there. In general, I am not opposed to the concept of drug rehabilitation here in Ocean Grove. There are lots of people that want to go somewhere to dry out, and don’t want to be too close to home. So OG is an easily accessible location.
However, I do not like the idea of having a population consisting of addicted criminals being placed in our town. It would be good to learn more about the patient population the facility anticipates treating, and how they are supervised before being unequivocally opposed.
Jay: We are focused on whether Neptune should allow a drug rehab facility to open in the Grove. I doubt that these Sprout management characteristics will primarily interest the ZBA, although some kind of vetting should probably be done before any final approval is given and Sprout is given the run of the place.
I do not approve of a drug rehab facility in OG, especially when we know nothing about the operators, their healthcare backgrounds, their venture capital funding, their success in other towns, their monitoring of patients, etc.
I support the need for more drug rehab facilities. However,for drug rehab to be effective, you must isolate the user from any triggers that may prompt a relapse. Drugs are readily accessible around OG, Neptune, Bradley Beach and Asbury Park and Sprout should know this and that it is counter productive to place a drug rehab facility here. However, it appears Sprout may be looking more at an enticing setting and the dollars it brings rather than the success of the program.
Drug rehabilitation does not belong in a family town. Asbury Park has plenty of space to accommodate this for probably less money and more profit. Also, I’m guessing that parking (for visitors and extra personnel/counselors) would also negatively impact our town. We have lots of problems to solve and don’t need another problem!
Editor’s note: Annie: Please read the Sprout application (below) for a variance where they reveal the result of a parking and traffic study that finds no predicted negative impact due to parking.
Those that voted for this drug rehabilitation center must not live in Ocean Grove. Our precious town is going to the dogs. Put it in Asbury Park as they have lots and lots of empty spaces with parking areas. We the owners of homes for may years like myself continue to have no say in anything any more.
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Ocean Grove: a really cute small town at the Jersey Shore.
I cannot understand how anyone can believe that having a facility for drug addicts would not negatively affect the surrounding property values and the quality of the town overall. Has everyone forgotten what the town was like in the late 1980s? Is the Sprout facility truly the highest value use for an ocean-facing lot in a historic town?
They did it at Mary’s Place, they may do it with Sprout, and if they do, then how long until a building on your block gets repurposed to become a facility for the treatment of drug addicts, sex offenders, alcoholics, etc?
Why would anyone,including the Zoning Board of Neptune, want to unleash such an enterprise as Sprout on Ocean Grove? They should want to boost real estate values — not destroy them. What about the Master Plan?
Curmudgeon: I don’t think that learning more about their Eatontown operation and more about the demographics of their clients will be important in the decision at the ZBA, which is essentially about zoning. But you may be right that knowing more might influence the opinions of Grovers. If you go to the meeting, you should be able to question the Sprout presenters.
Retired: I assure you that wherever there are people, there are drugs. Florida is filled with high-end drug rehab places all along the coast. There are also plenty of drugs in Florida
Sprout Health Group lists a facility in Eatontown on their website. It would be interesting to learn more about the experience there. In general, I am not opposed to the concept of drug rehabilitation here in Ocean Grove. There are lots of people that want to go somewhere to dry out, and don’t want to be too close to home. So OG is an easily accessible location.
However, I do not like the idea of having a population consisting of addicted criminals being placed in our town. It would be good to learn more about the patient population the facility anticipates treating, and how they are supervised before being unequivocally opposed.
Jay: We are focused on whether Neptune should allow a drug rehab facility to open in the Grove. I doubt that these Sprout management characteristics will primarily interest the ZBA, although some kind of vetting should probably be done before any final approval is given and Sprout is given the run of the place.
I do not approve of a drug rehab facility in OG, especially when we know nothing about the operators, their healthcare backgrounds, their venture capital funding, their success in other towns, their monitoring of patients, etc.
I support the need for more drug rehab facilities. However,for drug rehab to be effective, you must isolate the user from any triggers that may prompt a relapse. Drugs are readily accessible around OG, Neptune, Bradley Beach and Asbury Park and Sprout should know this and that it is counter productive to place a drug rehab facility here. However, it appears Sprout may be looking more at an enticing setting and the dollars it brings rather than the success of the program.
Drug rehabilitation does not belong in a family town. Asbury Park has plenty of space to accommodate this for probably less money and more profit. Also, I’m guessing that parking (for visitors and extra personnel/counselors) would also negatively impact our town. We have lots of problems to solve and don’t need another problem!
Editor’s note: Annie: Please read the Sprout application (below) for a variance where they reveal the result of a parking and traffic study that finds no predicted negative impact due to parking.
Those that voted for this drug rehabilitation center must not live in Ocean Grove. Our precious town is going to the dogs. Put it in Asbury Park as they have lots and lots of empty spaces with parking areas. We the owners of homes for may years like myself continue to have no say in anything any more.