Sober Living Co-Ops Raise Concerns In Moorestown

MOORESTOWN, NJ — In 2018, New Jersey established Cooperative Sober Living Residences to house those who are recovering from battles with addiction.

They don’t provide treatment, and Moorestown residents have begun to question whether they even belong in the township. It’s a tough question to answer.

The township doesn’t have to be notified that the residences are being built, and it was the community that brought the homes on Bartram Road and Cox Road to their attention in April.

“Our code doesn’t specifically address it,” Mayor Nicole Gillespie said.

Township Solicitor Kevin Aberant believes that it’s a permitted use, but the Zoning Board will have to make that determination. If they aren’t covered as a permitted use, they will have to obtain a license to operate, Gillespie said.

At its June 14 meeting, officials said the township code would have to be updated to allow them to exist as a conditional use, and that township staff is looking at what those conditions might be.

Under state law, the co-ops can house no more than 10 people, and they aren’t allowed to provide cooking and cleaning services, Gillespie said. They can’t drink or do drugs, and if they do, they must leave the facility immediately.

Gillespie said there are individuals throughout the township who are recovering from addiction, and they don’t pose a threat to the community.

She also said residents living in the co-ops are covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and the township can’t discriminate against them.

But she said there is concern that the residences are being operated inappropriately, as was the case in Florida where two residences were at the center of a fraud scheme.

There have also been “bad neighbor” complaints made about the Moorestown co-ops, including the residences leaving their lights on and being at the center of traffic issues, Gillespie said.

“I’ve spoken to the governor and Sen. Singleton,” Gillespie said. “It’s a new entity, so we have a lot of questions.”

The June 14 discussion took place during the workshop portion of the meeting, so no action was taken, but the township hopes to get their questions answered soon.