The developer of the Bancroft property answered questions and presented plans at a public meeting last Wednesday in Borough Hall.
The developer of the Bancroft property answered questions and presented plans at a public meeting last Wednesday in Borough Hall.
The developer, 2 Hopkins Lane LLC, and the borough entered into an agreement in January 2016. The developer had already purchased the property and proposed to build a drug and alcohol treatment facility next to the high school, which was a concern for community members.
Under the agreement, the borough purchased the Bancroft property, leaving the developer with the right to develop the residential portion.
In April 2016, at the recommendation of the Planning Board, the commissioners adopted a Redevelopment Plan to turn the Bancroft site into “age-targeted” living facilities; however, recent changes have been made for both the developer and the borough to move toward completion.
Last Wednesday, the developer was able to discuss plans moving forward and gather resident feedback.
The plan to develop 80 market-rate townhomes, with 10 affordable units for a total of 90 units on eight acres, has stirred emotion in the community. For a price of $500,000 per townhome, residents have expressed two primary concerns; older residents will not be able to downsize and afford these units and they will attract more families with children, and overcrowd the schools.
According to the architect for the project, Josh Eckert, the site will be age-targeted and include amenities designed to attract individuals 55 years of age or older.
The townhomes will have limited steps and stairs and not basements. The homes will have “wide” doorways, covered garage spaces, tall toilets, showers on ground floors, separate bedrooms and a homeowners association to manage the landscaping and maintenance duties. These features are all targeted toward an older demographic, according to Eckert.
To improve traffic conditions in the area, a left-turn lane will be added on Kings Highway for traffic moving toward Cherry Hill, and coming from Cherry Hill, a right-turn lane will be added to Hopkins Lane. The road will not be expanded, only turn lanes will be added.
“Age-targeted is fluff, there’s no control,” former Mayor Jack Tarditi said. “Regardless of how we got where we are at now, this is not going to serve the people in town who want to downsize.”
Tarditi said a $500,000 townhouse in walking distance to Tatem Elementary and the high school would be ideal for young families coming in from Philadelphia and suggested by making them age-restricted, it would eliminate the risk of having families move in.
“How is that downsizing?” resident David Hunter asked. “What I would really like you to do is give me some language I can give to my wife to explain that as a senior in town that this development is targeted toward us.”
Echoing Tarditi’s sentiments, Hunter expressed concerns about the price and said it would be difficult for most seniors to downsize to a townhome when they may be paying more to live there than their previous home.
Resident Anthony Errichetto also weighed in with his concerns about the cost to purchase one of these townhomes.
“On a fixed income, I am not going to buy a $500,000 townhouse,” Errichetto said.
Jack Plackter, the developer’s attorney, responded to some of the concerns on pricing.
“The assumption it has to be affordable to everyone who lives in Haddonfield is incorrect,” Plackter said. “Our original proposal was going to be more than $500,000.”
Plackter said, originally, $750,000 townhomes were discussed, and the price has been brought down to around $500,000, depending on if there is an elevator in the home.
“When we look at the numbers with our history and our building types, townhouses are going to generate the fewest kids,” Moscatelli added.
Despite a line of residents ready to give public comment, after two tense hours of debate, the meeting concluded and all questions were answered.
