The Emmaus Homes Board of Directors Tuesday night voted to close the Marthasville campus and relocate residents by 2020.The plan, recommended by executives and approved by the board, means that residents who live on the campus will be moved to group homes in nearby communities.Emmaus officials said it’s too costly to maintain the campus or build group homes there.The board’s decision follows pleas made by parents, guardians and other supporters to delay the closure of the campus until other solutions could be identified to close the gap in the funding shortfall.Those who opposed the closure had expressed frustration with Emmaus officials over what they said was the lack of communication and transparency in the past several months as the campus faced an uncertain future.Emmaus Homes Inc. is a private, nonprofit, faith-based organization that provides 24-hour residential and other services to 77 adults with developmental disabilities on its 650-acre campus located off of Highway D. The Marthasville campus has been in existence for 120 years.The move by the Emmaus board is similar to what occurred recently at Emmaus’ St. Charles campus. The 88-acre property was recently closed and residents who had been living there were moved into homes in the area. That property is now under contract and slated for residential development. Emmaus’ administration offices have since relocated to a new facility in St. Charles.Tuesday night’s meeting was closed to the public.“This has been a long and challenging process for everyone involved and today’s decision was not an easy one,” said the Rev. Dr. Richard Zuch, Emmaus board chairman, in a statement released Wednesday morning.“It is an emotional time for our clients, family members and employees.”According to a press release, the recommendation to discontinue services on the Marthasville campus was based on three tenants of the organization’s strategic plan: best practice, financial stability and good stewardship. Emmaus officials added they do not anticipate any job loses or client discharges.“We plan to work closely with our clients, families and our staff as we work on this very important transition,” said Emmaus President/CEO Cindy Clark in the release. “As always, our clients remain our first priority.”For more on this story, see the May 21 edition of The Record.Emmaus board votes to close Marthasville campus