A Group Home in Murray Hill?

A company that provides treatment to adolescents with eating disorders has applied to open a residential center in a 7,861 square foot home with an indoor pool on two acres at 2 Morris Lane in Scarsdale. Monte Nido Eating Disorder Treatment Centers offers treatment for anorexia, bulimia, exercise disorder, activity disorder, and binge eating. At a similar program on an 11-acre property in Irvington, Monte Nido helps teens to recover in a home-like environment and teaches them to shop for food, cook and eat in a family setting.

The contemporary home at 2 Morris Lane between Heathcote and Dorchester Roads is currently on the market for $3,900,000 with taxes of $130,000. If Monte Nido establishes a group home in this location, residents at the treatment home would not attend Scarsdale schools. It will be the responsibility of their home districts to supply them with tutoring or home schooling. Since the home is set back from the road, Village Planner Elizabeth Marrinan does not anticipate that it would add traffic to the street.

For zoning purposes, the property would be considered a group home, and by law it would be treated as a single family home. The Padavan Act prevents communities from excluding group homes. Two group homes already exist in Scarsdale, one on Foxhall Place and the other on the Post Road.

A letter dated 10-27-15 from attornies Zarin and Steinmetz who are representing Monte Nido and Affiliates says that the company is currently in contract to buy the site that would house "up to 8 residents" who will frequent "local restaurants, retailers and stores, some of which may be located in the Village." It also says that the "residence would be licensed by the Office of Mental Health and would provide housing, supervision and a residentail treatment program for adolescent individuals with eating disorders."

This home is far larger and pricier than the two existing group homes in Scarsdale. It is not clear how the economics work for a treatment center in an area with high priced homes and taxes like Scarsdale. This will also be one of the first businesses to open in Murray Hill, where zoning prevents commercial properties.

The Law and Land Use Committee will meet to consider the application on November 24 at 6:30.