Ltr Diane Chandler Zimmerman enc documents 91224

® & Township Of West Orange 66 MAIN STREET, WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY 07052 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SAMUEL A. SPINA Mayor TEL: (201)3 25-4110 FAX: (2019325 6359 SUSAN BORG ALA. Phuning Director TO: Zoning Board of ‘20 Members wy) FROM: Director Susan Boe PP. ALA. DATE: May 10, 1995 RE: ZB-95-16/The House of the Holy Comforter 33 Mt. Pleasant Avenue Block: 88; Lot: 26; Zone: OB-2 DISCUSSION The applicant has applied for an interpretation of the West Orange Zoning Ordinance as to whether a New Jersey licensed residential health care facility is a permitted use in the OB-2 zone Hospitals, Sanitariums and Nursing Homes are permitted uses in the OB-2 zone, however the term nursing home is not defined in the Ordinance. The applicant has submitted a brief which I believe supports the position that a licensed residential health care facility is a permitted use under the term nursing home. This applies to "extended care" facilities and "congregate care" facilities licensed by the State of New Jersey. However, to be certain this applies, the applicant should define “residential health care," “extended care," congregate care," and "nursing home." Zoning and land use is a dynamic field which continually has new terms and types of businesses. When the Zoning Ordinance does not include new terms, the intent of the ordinance must be reviewed. I think the intent of the Zoning Ordinance is to permit hospitals, nursing homes and sanatariums includes uses similar to these being proposed, such as licensed residential health care, extended care and congregate care. However, I would like these terms defined in the ordinance and also some conditions added which consider lot size, buffers, etc. for large institutional buildings such as churches, schools and nursing homes. SB:cea. ce: William Carpenter, Esq.