Jewish Home for the Elderly's Coming to Monroe

A lack of a public sewer previously put Monroe at a disadvantage among suitors trying to entice the Jewish Home for the Elderly to build it's nursing home in their town.

But septic issues did not ultimately flush its bid down the drain.

After evaluating sites here, in Easton, Trumbull and Stratford, developer Robert D. Scinto chose Monroe for his client this week.

On Tuesday, Monroe developer John Kimball told Patch the Jewish home will move forward with plans on commercial property he owns with Scinto on Victoria Drive.

"In the end, I just think the Monroe site has turned out to be the best site and it's the site we're going to focus on," Kimball said.

Kimball said negotiations had solidified on Monday.

"We're pleased that after lengthy due diligence in reviewing their options, the Jewish home decided to commit to our site," he said. "We hope to work with the town to make this facility a positive addition to the Monroe tax base."

Robert Scinto Jr., COO of Robert D. Scinto Inc. Real Estate, confirmed the news Wednesday morning.

"Right now, we're focusing all of our attention on Monroe, because we can control everything there," Scinto said. "We wouldn't need to use other sewer lines and we own the land."

Kimball said state Department of Environmental Protection approval will be needed for a community septic system, adding any application for the site will need approvals from the Monroe Inland Wetlands and Planning & Zoning commissions.

"The Jewish Home for the Elderly has to sign off on this too," Scinto said. "But I think they're on the same page."

When reached for comment, Andrew Banoff, president and CEO of the Jewish Home for the Elderly was non-committal.

In a statement issued Wednesday he wrote:

"The Jewish Home is committed to providing the highest quality of services for our elders — across the continuum of care that they need. Several years ago our Board of Directors approved the development of a Continuing Care Retirement Community and the replacement of our nursing home with a household model of skilled nursing care at a site in the Town of Monroe.

"After it was determined that the necessary sewer connections were not available to us in Monroe, we began to pursue alternative locations — and we are still searching for the site that will welcome and accommodate our needs.

"The original site in Monroe is certainly an attractive option which we remain very interested in, and I believe that the Town is doing all that is possible to bring our vision to fruition."

"The lack of a large sewage treatment system was one of the difficulties," Kimball said of the project, "but the town of Monroe is very proactive with the WPCA to help address this issue."

First Selectman Steve Vavrek had decided to form the Water Pollution Control Authority as a necessary step for the town to either hook into Trumbull or Bridgeports' sewer line or to build its own treatment plant.

Expansion plans denied

The Jewish Home for the Elderly's proposal to change zoning regulations to expand its Jefferson Street campus in Fairfield was denied by the Town Plan & Zoning Commission on July 27.

The denial may have influenced the Jewish home's recent decision to concentrate on Monroe.

The Jewish home wanted to demolish three existing buildings and construct housing with larger rooms with an appearance that is less institutional and more residential, according to a Fairfield Patch article.

Banoff said in a June 22 public hearing that the number of beds in the Jewish Home would actually drop from 360 to 320 because, while the overall square footage of the facility would increase, the number of beds would decrease because the rooms would all be private and include a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, shower and outdoor terrace.

The problem for many Fairfield TPZ commissioners was that the regulation changes would have applied to more than just the JHE's 15.6-acre property at 175 Jefferson St. — they would apply to every Residence 3 property in town.

'It's a home run'

Late First Selectman Thomas Buzi was committed to bringing the Jewish Home for the Elderly to Monroe for needed senior housing and an economic boost.

Since beating Buzi in the election last November, Vavrek has continued to work toward making this a reality.

However, the first selectman was cautiously optimistic Tuesday, when asked about the latest development in the Jewish home's search for a new location.

"I'm happy they chose Monroe," Vavrek said, "but until a contract is signed, I'm not going to give people false hope. We've been down this path before."

But he added, "This is much needed and long overdue. It shows Monroe is a place more people should look at."

Economic Development Commission Chairman Lee Hossler was ecstatic.

"That's wonderful news," he said with a smile. "That's really good news. In this national economy, it's a home run. It's one of the best things that could happen in Monroe."