June 4, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 17 ECCR breaks ground for off-campus group home The Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat broke ground last week for a new supported living group home on Mountain Avenue in Wyckoff near the North Haledon border. ECCR paid $360,000 for the three-quarter-acre property. The site is near the Retreat’s main campus. “Wyckoff has been very supportive over the years, and we’ve tried to be very good neighbors,” said Jayne Press, the Retreat’s executive director. “We’re so glad we could find a property right around the corner. It will make staff transfers and everything else so much easier for us.” The house previously on the site was demolished fol- lowing a fire. Wyckoff’s 3,000 square foot Craftsman-style, one- story home will house five young men, ages 20-40 with developmental disabilities, each with his own bedroom. The house, which was designed by Project Architect Anne Petrocci of Vincek & Petrocci Archi- tects of Ramsey, will be fully handicapped accessible and equipped with fire alarm and sprinkler systems. The Division of Developmental Disability will pick up the $500,000 tab for the construction, Press said. Press said that an effort is made to keep together resi- dents who have developed friendships while at the main building. She said by moving to group homes in the area, the residents can also still avail themselves of the day programs, and in many cases continue with the same care givers, who will be staffing the new homes 24/7. No variances are required for the one story facility, as the proposed use is permitted in all zones in any munici- pality in the state. The private, non-profit organization has been operat- ing group homes since 1987 and runs five group homes (continued on page 25) ECCR Board President John Prol Jr., ECCR Board Vice President Linda Felldin, ECCR Executive Director Jayne Press, ECCR Secretary Ron de Waal Malefyt, ECCR Treasurer Ken Kuiken, and ECCR Director of Operations Laura Lupica.