The status of Cherry Hill Township’s Hampton Road redevelopment plan is up in the air as township officials have decided to indefinitely postpone its public hearing.
Township solicitor Robert Wright read a statement at the beginning of last Monday’s township council meeting stating the second reading and public hearing on the Hampton Road redevelopment plan would be postponed indefinitely.
This announcement came two weeks after council opted not to hold a vote on the redevelopment plan at its previous meeting when dozens of residents spoke out against the plan.
The proposed Hampton Road redevelopment plan will allow for the construction of 300 rental residential units between Cuthbert Boulevard and Hampton Road on the west side of Cherry Hill. The proposed site consists of the former Saunders Publishing building, a former Bell Atlantic Telephone service operations center, a small office building and woods.
At the July 10 council meeting, a number of residents, including those from the Still Park neighborhood adjacent to the redevelopment area, expressed concerns about the plan. Residents questioned the impact on the existing nearby woods, traffic and water runoff.
Township officials said in a social media post the postponement was being made to allow officials to further review the plan and also give residents in the adjacent Still Park neighborhood an opportunity to give more input.
If amendments are made to the redevelopment plan, it would be introduced as a new ordinance and have to be approved on both first and second readings.
“If there’s amendments to the proposed plan, the ordinance will be re-introduced and a public hearing scheduled,” Wright said. “Notice of any future public hearing on this ordinance will be done in accordance with the local housing and redevelopment law.”
Wright added the redevelopment plan does not have to go back to the planning board, even if amendments are made. The township planning board approved a recommendation for council to adopt the redevelopment plan in March.
Council approves amended Kennedy Hospital redevelopment plan on first reading
Kennedy Hospital in Cherry Hill could soon be permitted to construct a helistop atop its new patient tower.
Township council approved an amended redevelopment plan on first reading for the hospital, located at the intersection of Chapel Avenue and Cooper Landing Road. The biggest change would allow for the hospital to place a helistop at the top of its recently constructed patient tower.
According to an information sheet from the township, the helistop would provide a safer and more efficient way for helicopters to transport patients from the hospital.
Currently, Kennedy uses the fields at Cherry Hill High School West as a landing site for helicopters when a patient needs to be transferred to another hospital for care. The township says a helicopter transport requires the clearing of the fields as well as EMS, police and fire department participation. The process can take between 30 minutes and two hours to complete. Township officials say the construction of a helistop would eliminate the need for township resources to be utilized for helicopter transport.
Other changes to the redevelopment plan include increasing the maximum building height from 75 feet to 88 feet, decreasing the minimum front yard setback along Chapel Avenue from 80 feet to 40 feet, and permitting an additional façade sign along Chapel Avenue. Township council approved the original redevelopment plan for Kennedy Hospital in 2014. The plan helped facilitate the construction of Kennedy’s new patient tower.
Traffic regulation ordinance passes on first reading
Council approved an ordinance on first reading to make a number of various traffic safety changes in the township.
The ordinance includes new parking restrictions on three streets. Police Chief William Monaghan said all of the restrictions are being proposed in response to feedback from residents in each of the respective communities.
The first restriction would prohibit parking on the east side of Walt Whitman Boulevard 50 feet out from each curb line of Baldwin Road. The changes are being proposed due to safety concerns for pedestrians walking to nearby Horace Mann Elementary School.
“There’s been problems with people clogging intersections as well as crosswalks within proximity of the school at both drop off as well as pick up,” Monaghan said.
The second change would prohibit parking on the north side of North Princeton Avenue between Haddonfield Road and Oakview Avenue, located near the Mall Chevrolet car dealership.
“There’s some issues with people that work at the dealership parking back in the neighborhood,” Monaghan said.
The final change would prohibit parking on the south side of Valley Run Drive from the west curb line of Brookline Avenue to a point 75 feet west. Monaghan said this change is in response to an issue of people parking too close the corners of the intersection.
Other changes in the ordinance include the prohibition of U-turns on neighboring Third Avenue and Woodland Avenue. Monaghan said with left turns prohibited on Chapel Avenue westbound to Crescent Way leading into Garden State Park, motorists are passing Crescent Way, turning left onto Third Avenue or Woodland Avenue, and making U-turns in residential driveways to get to Chapel Avenue eastbound and then make a right onto Crescent Way. The proposed ordinance would prohibit this.
The second reading and public hearing on both the Kennedy Hospital amended redevelopment plan and the traffic ordinance will take place at the next council meeting on Monday, Aug. 14.
