New sidewalks are coming to Voorhees thanks to grants received by the NJ Safe Routes to School Program and the DVRPC Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program.
As explained by Township Administrator Larry Spellman at the Nov. 9 Voorhees committee meeting, the NJ Safe Routes program will cover a sidewalk from the Voorhees Town Center to White Horse Road, with construction set to start next spring.
“Right now, there’s sidewalk on the other side of the street, the side that the soccer fields are on,” he said. “This will be on the side where all the houses are. I’m really happy to get this grant.”
The DVRPC grant was submitted by Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Somerdale and Lawnside to acquire funding for a sidewalk from the Ashland PATCO station along Evesham Road, up to Burnt Mill Road and beyond.
While new sidewalks are being added, the township committee also introduced two ordinances on first reading to remove 11th and 12th avenues from the tax map. The ordinance notes that a portion of the two streets will be vacated and can be transferred to owners of adjacent property on Block 293 Lot 2, 295 Lot 1, and 296 Lot 1.
Spellman explained the move is mostly for tax purposes and the tax value may go up if transferred, but physically, the areas will be the same as before.
“We vacate paper streets probably every year,” he said.
In other news;
- The committee approved purchase of a 4×4 pickup truck for the Public Works Department to replace a nearly 20-year-old vehicle. The new truck can be used as a snow plow and for salting.
- The committee submitted a grant for the Berlin-Voorhees-Gibbsboro Alcohol and Drug Abuse Municipal Alliance to help educate and engage residents, local government, police officers and other community groups to prevent alcoholism and drug abuse.
- Balrup Hundal was appointed to the Voorhees Zoning Board as Alternate 2, as different board members move up the chain of command to replace John Daddario, a zoning board member who resigned.
- Courtney Capone was appointed deputy municipal court administrator; she replaces retiree Donna Odd.
The next committee meeting will be on Monday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m, following a work session on Monday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings are virtual, and the Zoom link will be posted on voorheesnj.com.
