The Haddonfield Planning Board held a special meeting on Thursday, March 17 to approve the redevelopment plan of the Bancroft property, the first step for the borough to purchase the property.
Phil Caton of Clark, Caton & Hintz, whom the borough hired to create the redevelopment plan, gave a presentation to the board on the plan. With a few small changes, the planning board approved the redevelopment plan.
An agreement between the borough and 2 Hopkins Lane, LLC, Brian O’Neill of Recovery Centers of America’s buying company, has the sale price of the 19.2 acres set at $12.9 million, split between Bancroft at $11.5 million and O’Neill’s company at $1.4 million.
The agreement also provides an option for 2 Hopkins Lane, LLC to buy back 8.2 acres for $5.5 million to develop 70 age-targeted homes and 10 affordable housing units, pursuant to an adopted redevelopment plan. The developer also has an opt-out to not buy the acres, with the borough paying an additional $600,000, covering O’Neill’s costs from the rehab center proposal.
The closing date for the purchase of the Bancroft property is June 30. The borough has a pretty strict deadline of how things need to be done to purchase by June 30. This included having the redevelopment plan set and approved by the Planning Board by March 17.
“The Planning Board reviews the plan of redevelopment and reports back to the governing body in an advisory capacity as to whether there are any inconsistencies in the plan with the Haddonfield Borough Master Plan. If there are any inconsistencies, they should be indicated as such, and (the board) can (make) recommendations,” board solicitor Don Ryan said.
The goal of the Bancroft redevelopment plan is intended to expand the public open space in Haddonfield for active and passive recreation, foster the development of an age-targeted and affordable residential development, provide room for the expansion of Haddonfield Board of Education facilities, and retain the 1886 Lullworth Hall and the other preservable historic facilities on site.
Within this overall redevelopment goal, the plan establishes a set of objectives based on public input conveyed over the many years during which Bancroft property redevelopment has been considered.
“This plan can be amended by the same process by which it is being adopted… It is not going to be a document that you’re stuck with it forever. If over the next couple of years (there are changes needed), you can amend it,” Caton said.
Changes to the plan made that night due to board and public comments, include: adding historic sites on the Bancroft property to parts of the plan that were left out; considering the impact of any active recreational consideration on not only the development area, but also the surrounding existing elements; ensuring that 75 percent of the age-targeted housing units made would have a master bedroom downstairs; and changing affordable housing to 12.5 percent of the total number of dwelling units if it exceeds 80 units.
Caton and Planning Board vice chair Doug McCollister both confirmed that, in their opinion, the redevelopment plan was consistent with the borough’s Master Plan.
The Planning Board unanimously approved the redevelopment plan and its changes, except McCollister, who approved all parts except the 75 percent of the age-targeted housing units requiring a master bedroom downstairs. He believed having one third as a requirement is sufficient.
The next step for purchasing the Bancroft property is for borough commissioners to introduce the same redevelopment plan at their next meeting, which is scheduled for March 22. The commissioners have the right to reject, accept or modify the plan. If approved that night, a public hearing will be held at a special meeting on April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Borough Hall.
The full redevelopment plan report can be found on the borough website at www.haddonfieldnj. org/news/?p=2137.
