Manalapan Mayor Susan Cohen asked state leaders to close down the privately owned, and state-licensed Manalapan Manor, citing several of its residents have died in recent years from a variety of causes -- but she didn’t get the response she was hoping for.

Mayor Cohen says she’s been getting nowhere with state officials for six years on the issue, adding she heard the response through the media and not directly, that Manalapan Manor is in compliance with state law and its nearly 50 residents will remain, and the facility will not be shut down for the time being.

 =The mayor sent a letter to state leaders, including Gov. Phil Murphy, reminding them that conditions inside are deplorable, and that three of its residents were killed in recent years after being hit by cars out on Route 33, according to officials.

Officials also say another resident died of apparent malnutrition, another by suicide, and yet another by an apparent heroin overdose.

Cohen adds the residents have even been getting violent with town residents at local stores.

New Jersey’s Bureau of Rooming and Boarding House Standards conducted an unannounced evaluation of Manalapan Manor on Nov. 7.

The Bureau Evaluator determined that Manalapan Manor was in compliance with the Standards for Licensure of Residential Health Care Facilities.

“I’m calling on any mayor in any town that has a facility like this, so let’s try and together let’s make changes,” says Mayor Cohen. “Let’s support Assemblyman Clifton‘s bill and let’s make the changes because these are humans and we have to help them, and I’m at my wits end right now on what to do.”

Cohen says there are hundreds of yearly police calls to the facility. Multiple inoperative toilets, sewage backups, infestations of cockroaches and bedbugs are just some of the other issues.

Mayor Cohen tells News 12 Assemblyman Robert Clifton has introduced a bill that he’s hoping will soon change state regulations for such facilities.

News 12 has tried to reach the owner of the facility, but he has not returned calls or emails.