STIGMA or SAFETY? –
Mar. 16, 2026 – WPB Investors, LLC, filed an application with the Wayne Zoning Board to convert a property it owns into an inpatient drug rehabilitation facility.
WPB Investors called the board’s rejection “arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable,” and “improper.” As hearings on the application commenced in fall 2025, WPB Investors supplied the Board with testimony from experts, including civil engineers, planners, and operators, which provided evidence as to how the site would operate efficiently, the suit says.
Part of WPB’s application was a conditional use variance, which would allow the zone to be used for inpatient care rather than just the outpatient care it is already approved for. Legal representatives from St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center objected to the proposal but offered no testimony “in support of the objection/against the (application),” the suit reads.
The suit added that there was no comment from the public with concerns with regard to the proposed rehab facility.
