This is an editorial Written by: Simon Toffell
A lot has been made about the proposed group home at 15 Bradford St so in this Article I am going to talk about the pros and cons about the home.
1st let’s talk about the Pros.
1st: The house is right near a train station looking at Google Maps it says 2min walk but one could walk it in 1min it is also 7min walk to the Boro Hall Station but again that’s what Google says one could do it in 5min. The house is 7 to 8 min walk to a bus Station. All this is key and is a big thing for someone who has a disability because in most cases people with a kind of disability would call that house home as most will not be able to drive and would and do use NJT to get around.
2nd: The house being just around the corner to shops. That goes back to what I am talking about not having a car most who don’t drive use NJT to get from a-b but also will chooses to shop local so for example if he or she needed to go food shop that person would likely choose Kilroy’s being it’s an 8min walk let’s say someone needs to get meds well there are 3 places to do that and all are 2-3min walk. If one wanted a pizza he or she could be at John boys let’s say in 2min. also don’t forget about GRPT that is 5min walk from the house so if someone needed PT there is some place close by. So you could see the people who would call the house a home spend a lot of money in town and if you’re on any of the GR FB groups you know that’s something that a lot of us say support local, shop in town.
3rd: Glen Rock is a safe town. If you think of it you, me, or anyone can walk the streets of Glen Rock say 1:00am and feel safe and that’s a big thing. We are also caring. We don’t look at someone and be like oh well he or she is stuck or he or she can’t do anything, we help each other out and that’s why it is said GR is a town to come home to.
4th: Is that the house is right by the town pool. So come summer time he or she could join the pool. A great community activity.
Now to the cons.
The street is small it’s an old Street. IF you park a car in the street It could make it hard for some other car to get past and could make it hard for say EMS to get by if they had to. Or like was said in the open meeting that the most number of cars we would be talking about would be parked, in let’s say the driveway, is 3 but most often 2. 1 for the home aide and maybe someone who is leaving there who would drive. The problem would come let’s say Holidays when family would be visiting. Now If I was calling that place home I might choose to go see family and friends at their place being that there would be 6 others living there might be a bit hard to say have some alone time with Friends and Family.
I am not trying to sell you or anything like that in this Pease what I am doing is giving you something to think about. Thank you for reading the Banana tree news site.
Simon Toffell
Editors note: The purchase of 15 Bradford St by Bergen County United Way is on the agenda for the 7/29/2015 meeting.
