Voorhees Township Committee met Monday, June 24 to approve multiple projects, including a developer’s agreement between the township and Voorhees Housing Associates, LLC for a development project.
Committee approved the submission of applications for state transportation trust funds designated for phase II of the Evesham Road Sidewalk Improvements Project.
According to Township Administrator Larry Spellman, ongoing work by the township along Evesham Road under the safe routes to transit program has been done entirely through grant funds. Voorhees Middle School is located along Evesham Road, being one of the leading reasons to complete this project.
“We’ve been getting the sidewalk [completed] going north, now it’s going south,” said Spellman. “Our intention is that we will have the entire Evesham Road [with a] sidewalk by the time we get all of these grants.”
With the committee authorizing the submission of grant applications at the meeting, Spellman says the project itself is not expected to be completed until sometime next year.
Committee also submitted a grant application with the state Department of Transportation for the Voorhees Drive-Roadway and Traffic Safety Improvements Project, with the township hoping to have general maintenance and repairs be made to the road.
Additionally, committee also submitted an application for state Department of Transportation funds under the local bikeway program to extend the Voorhees Township Bicycle Network from 1201 Haddonfield-Berlin Road to Northgate Drive. According to Spellman, this would connect E.T. Hamilton Elementary School to the bicycle network.
“With the work we’re doing this summer along Route 561, we’ll actually be joining up another part of our bike path with Gibbsboro,” said Spellman. “So as we’re keeping up with these grants and our bike paths, we want people to be able to go all throughout the area on a bike, so we’re encouraging that.”
The final large project that committee approved was the awarding of a bid to Swerp, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 31 feet of sewer pipe to be re-sleeved in the Elm Tree development. In an effort to identify in-need locations within the sewer department of the township, committee approved the project that Spellman says should help alleviate the worry of potential problems for decades. This is the third year in which the township has sought to identify the “most fragile areas of town” regarding sewer pipes.
In other news:
- Committee approved an insertion of an item of revenue worth $1,687.87 from the state Alcohol Education, rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund. According to Spellman, the township and police department can use the funds in a myriad of ways to create positive change for those in need of alcohol education or rehab.
- The Voorhees Police Department and Fire Department were approved to receive vehicles form Mall Chevrolet under a state Cooperative Pricing Agreement.
- A contract for real estate and financial advisory services regarding a proposed financial agreement for the Voorhees Town Center Phase II Redevelopment Project was authorized.
- A developers agreement was approved and authorized between Voorhees Township and Voorhees Housing Associates, LLC for a proposed 81-unit affordable housing rental development project along block 263, lot 11, located along Evesham Road.
