Owner of Green Briar Adult Home continues to evade neighbors

MILLBROOK — The Green Briar Adult Home has been in the news several times over the past year and a half, and now it is once again. There are neighbors of Green Briar, in the area of Route 82, Halcyon Road and Maple Hill Drive, upset that the home’s residents are behaving badly — in some cases, breaking the law. The neighbors want to meet with Green Briar owner, Eileen Berenyi, and her attorney, Allan Rappleyea. Meetings have been planned but are often canceled. Berenyi, who lives in Westport, Conn., has owned Green Briar for about 30 years.

She and her attorney did meet last April with Washington town Supervisor Gary Ciferri, members of the Town Board and Town Clerk Mary Alex. At that time, Berenyi said she would meet with community members on Thursday, Nov. 14, at the regular Town Board meeting. However, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, Alex received an e-mail from Rappleyea canceling, “as a result of certain communications on social media.”

In July, 2018, a Green Briar resident entered the home and business of Joan LaCasse, owner of the Blue Barn B‘nB, and stole a bottle of liquor. At the time, LaCasse was in the rear of the B’nB, and didn’t know of the trespass and theft until she looked at her security tapes. When she realized what had happened, she notified the police. The Green Briar resident was arrested; he had a rap sheet, included a kidnapping and burglary for which he had served several years in jail.

LaCasse said she wanted answers, which is why she took to social media.

“The incidents I posted on our local Facebook pages were merely a glimpse of what has occurred and the purpose of the meeting was to make Berenyi aware of the greater problems that exist in her facility.”

Other neighbors have had problems, too: Green Briar residents have reportedly peeped in windows, prowled on private property and entered homes. Complaints of beer cans and liquor bottles littering the area have also been registered. In one instance, a Green Briar resident was reportedly drunk when he caused a disturbance in Marona’s Supermarket. Another report had a resident from the home passed out drunk in a private backyard.

There was also an arrest of  a staff member for an alleged sexual assault on a Green Briar resident.

Another complaint is that Green Briar is a drain on public services, especially the Millbrook Police Department and the nearby New York State Police, who are called to the home often. So, too, are the Millbrook fire department and EMS, as the Green Briar staff are not allowed to pick up residents who have fallen. 

Originally, Green Briar was much smaller; it had about four rooms for aging Millbrook residents to rent. That was in 1968. Fifty years later, the facility now has a 53-bed capacity, but with a small staff that neighbors fear isn’t properly trained to care for all the residents. There are six or seven workers on staff during the day and two on staff overnight. 

Green Briar residents are reportedly ambulatory, able to care for themselves and can come and go as they please. Originally, residents were older — they had to be over 65. That’s changed, and younger residents are now accepted. The convicted felon who was charged with burglarizing the Blue Barn B’nB was 57, leading to questions of what constitutes an old age home. 

Neighbors are not asking for Green Briar to be closed. They are asking for a stricter vetting process, to keep out felons and anyone else deemed dangerous. 

LaCasse and other Millbrook residents would still like to meet with Berenyi and Rappleyea. They want accountability. They’re concerned about property values and quality of life.

Calls to Berenyi for comment have remained unanswered.

As of this date, no meeting has been set.