BERKELEY – A huge house stands out on a stretch of land with the Toms River to the left, a lagoon to the right, and the Barnegat Bay straight ahead. It’s a beautiful view, but looking to the future is hard to do right now.
The huge building on this property was named Anchor House, and it was a group home owned by Bright Harbor Healthcare. They offered 24-hour supervision for people with serious and persistent mental illness.
Unfortunately, in November of last year, one of the residents set fire to the home, causing it to be evacuated. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
The building was condemned that day, Bright Harbor CEO Kimberly Veith told The Berkeley Times in a new interview. The eight residents were moved to a Toms River location. “It’s a really great location for them. It’s worked out really well.”
Bright Harbor has been in Anchor House since 1979 after buying it from the Diocese of Staten Island. It had been a summer retreat for nuns, she said.
“It’s a beautiful piece of land that we adored. I’m not sure it’s in the best interest of continuing to be a group home,” she said.
Shore homes are wonderful, but they come with their own maintenance. For example, the bulkheads were their responsibilities.
In this day and age, health care reimbursements don’t keep up with the finances, she noted.
There are also a lot more houses in the area than when they first started using it, she said.
So, they are looking at their options. They applied to the Ocean County Natural Land Trust to see if they want to purchase it.
The trust is fueled by an open space tax throughout the county, which is then used to buy property that has environmental value, usually close to other natural areas. One of the priorities to be fulfilled before the county acquires land is that the town has to agree with it being taken off their tax rolls. The Berkeley Township Council passed a resolution recently that said they approved.
Bright Harbor is in the process of assessing the property. It might be a better option to sell to a developer, she said.
In the meantime, the man accused of lighting the fire will have his next court date on May 11, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. George DiPierro, who was 70 at the time of the incident, was arrested at the scene. He faces three counts of aggravated arson for allegedly starting fires at three locations in the home.
