A developer continued its presentation to the Voorhees Township Zoning Board Thursday, July 25 in its effort to build a complex with retail, restaurants, a potential gym, offices and more on top of the existing Golf Land property along the 800 block of Haddonfield-Berlin Road.
Hartford Properties LLC originally began its presentation at a meeting Thursday, June 13 to build its proposed 97,800 square-foot complex, called The Shoppes at Voorhees, before being extended to the July meeting.
At its most recent meeting, the zoning board continued to hear from professionals and legal experts representing Hartford Properties’ proposed complex, while also hearing from residents, with a majority of those speaking living along Westminster Drive in the Stafford Shire Farms community located along the back of the proposed complex.
The board once again took no formal action at the meeting, with the meeting to continue Thursday, Sept 12 at 7:30 p.m., with the action date being pushed back to Tuesday, Oct. 15.
The land Golf Land currently occupies is a 12.3-acre plot and requires multiple variances to be approved by the zoning board. While offices and restaurants are permitted as conditional uses at the land owned by the next door Lions Gate retirement community, other proposed uses, such as exercise and entertainment facilities, are prohibited in the SH-Senior Housing zone.
Additionally, the construction calls for 95 percent of vegetation to be removed, which is above the 70 percent limit currently allowed.
Additional variances that the developer seeks encroach on residents of the nearby development, such as cutting in half the distance allowed for parking spaces from residential property.
At the July meeting, the developer allowed a traffic expert and the project planner to speak regarding the project, describing a potential fix at Voorhees Drive, which is perpendicular to the property.
Additionally at the meeting, Jeffrey Baron, an attorney representing the owners of Eagle Plaza, which is across the street from Golf Land, cross-examined one witness about the multiple variances being sought. Baron is expected to discuss the project with additional Hartford Properties representatives who have worked on the project at the next meeting.
In essence, Baron says the project will have a negative effect along Route 561, as well as the residential properties along the back of the proposed complex.
“The traffic conditions are going to be much worse than were described … and it’s a terrible, terrible impact on the neighborhood,” said Baron. “To require neighbors to be 50 feet from parking of 551 spaces is just not appropriate.”
Voorhees resident Dana Fallick, during public comment, listed multiple empty retail locations and storefronts around the township that have continued to close their doors over the years as a reason why she believes an additional retail location is not needed.
“Vacancies, vacancies, vacancies,” said Fallick. “I think that we can do better, and I hope we can save it.”
Another resident questioned the need for such a retail location after a representative from Hartford Properties stated during the meeting that there was a need for new retail locations in Voorhees Township.
“It was stated that there was a demand for these type of outdoor places where people like to hang out. How do you know that these types of places are in demand around here?” said Ruth Blackman.
Nick Cinalli, who owns two locations along Westminster Drive, said during public comment that, although it is early in the process, the total impact of the proposed location should be evaluated on its impact on the neighbors.
“What is the likelihood that this development is going to succeed?” said Cinalli. “We can always get the books, go to criteria and find a way to rationalize the answer. But what I do know is that if I look across the street [from Golf Land] there is a strip center that is fairly large with empty spaces there. We’re being told that this one is going to be full the day they open, and I have strong doubts about that.”
“I urge you, that if you do decide to grant the litany of rezonings … that you take into account … does this development have a very high rate of success?” added Cinalli.
