As part of the park grants that the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation gave to municipalities throughout the county, Mt. Laurel is looking to put the open space at the corner of Elbo Lane and Hainesport-Mt. Laurel Road to good use.
The township is planning to construct Elbo Lane Park on the site. The new walking park will be easily accessible for citizens who live in developments such as Holiday Village, according to township manager Maureen Mitchell.
Mayor Linda Bobo was adamant about developing the location, which is currently unused. The township purchased the property in 2007 as open space. Since then, it has been looking at developing the property to beautify it and make it useful for citizens in the area.
Currently, the property is vacant open space. There is a lot of work to be done on the property, with large weeds, branches and other debris lying throughout.
“The site has been disturbed for some time,” Bobo said. “There are large mounds of dirt and some other issues. It’s a parcel of land that needs to be returned to its natural state.”
The park will be funded thanks to a $100,000 grant from Burlington County. Council recognized the grant at its last meeting on Oct. 7.
Burlington County started the grant program to provide municipalities with funding so that they can create and maintain new parks while also preserving open space.
According to Mitchell, the proposed Elbo Lane Park will be a passive recreation area that includes walking and running trails around the perimeter and a picnic area in the center with shade trees around it.
In addition to the walking trails, there will be checkers and games tables where visitors can relax with friends and sit in a shaded area.
The goal of the project is for the township to create a new park that is in a quiet part of town as well as give additional recreational options for its citizens.
The location for the park will be an alternative for many who do not live as close to Laurel Acres Park.
While the park will be located close to Holiday Village, a senior citizens development, Bobo emphasized that this park will be for everyone.
“This is a park that will be for the entire Mt. Laurel community,” she said.
Those who are excited about the park will still have to wait a little bit for it to become a reality. While Council received the grant from the county, it still has to open bidding before any work can be done on the site.
