Rehab Facility Fights To Get Moving

New Haven nursing home patients may fret less about flu season next year — if a Bronx-based assisted living company gets the green light to build 150 beds, pave half as many parking spaces and bring ultraviolet disinfection tech to the Hill neighborhood. 

The facility, The New Haven Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, pitched a plan to the Board of Zoning Appeals to relocate rather than rehabilitate their 181 Clifton St. center over to 2 Thorn St.

In order to do so, they’re requesting that the board allow them to set aside 78 off-street parking spaces where 150 are typically required.

Attorney Sara Sharp, representing the East Coast nursing home chain which purchased the Thorn property under the title of New Haven Dream LLC, said the idea behind the move is to keep occupancy at the upcoming care facility the same as on Clifton while offering more space and higher-quality care to patients.

“While NHC has made efforts to improve the existing facility, it is extremely outdated and does not have the space necessary to provide the level of amenities, privacy, and quality care that the residents deserve and respect,” the application to the board reads. ​“This project will allow the NHC to relocate to a brand-new state-of-the-art facility that will feature, among other things, an HVAC system with sophisticated filtration and ultraviolet disinfection features to help fight the spread of viruses, as well as private bedrooms and bathrooms for every resident.”

Before NHC purchased 181 Clifton St. from RegalCare in 2021, the nursing home made headlines as a Covid-19 hotspot.

Everyone staying at ​“Clifton House,” the unofficial but common name for the current facility, will have the option to move over to Thorn Street, according to Sharp. 

“This is an important resource for our growing elderly population,” Sharp stated. 

She argued at the zoning meeting, which was held last week, that 150 parking spaces would be too many for a building full of disabled patients unlikely to own or drive cars. The chain is looking for a special exception to decrease that number to 78 before moving forward with the development.

“The vast majority of NHC patients (70 – 80%) are covered by Medicaid and do not have a car or other assets in excess of $1600,” the project application states. Most others are recovering from surgery, traumatic injury or serious illness, and therefore unable to drive.

Sharp suggested 78 parking spaces as a reasonable compromise, arguing that most spots will be used by the 40-odd staff members expected to work on site at any given point in time, who mostly commute by walking or riding public transit, anyway.

The Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to vote on the application at the next meeting following a preliminary review by the City Plan Commission.