Property on site of former KinderCare facility gets go-ahead for traffic redirection
At its most recent meeting, Cherry Hill Township Council unanimously passed a resolution that authorized the execution of a developer’s agreement between the township and JJN Real Estate Holdings, LLC, regarding the construction of new medical offices on the corner of Route 70 and Wexford Drive.
At the heart of the resolution was a proper addressing of residents’ concerns on additional traffic disrupting the normal vehicular flow in the neighborhood behind the offices.
At a Jan. 15 meeting of the township planning board, an application for construction was granted to JJN, whose principal member is local pediatrician Dr. John B. Tedeschi. It requested relief for a preliminary and final major site plan with bulk variances to convert that unoccupied property into a multi-tenant medical office use. The application also provided for various building and site improvements consisting of exterior renovations, additional parking, circulation and access road improvements, along with new signage.
Tedeschi operates a practice, Advocare South Jersey Pediatrics, at an address located adjacent to where the new medical offices are planned.
Ten days prior, residents met with Tedeschi and his team so they could become aware of his plans and discuss their concerns regarding the site’s redevelopment.
The first set of plans included six variances, to which neighbors expressed objections to due to excess of lighting, elimination of buffers between their property and those in the neighborhood, large signage, as well as traffic and drainage issues. That group of residents also provided Tedeschi’s team with a glimpse from the residents’ point-of-view by touring two homes on Tendring Road that would be directly affected by the project.
Then, in front of the Planning Board, Tedeschi’s team came to the meeting with overhauled submissions, having heard neighborhood concerns already relayed to them by the board itself. The number of variances in the plan was reduced from six to two, while additional adjustments were made in regard to signage, lighting and drainage.
“(The resolution) was an idea to protect the residents of the neighborhood, which they brought up at that meeting, they wanted to ensure that traffic (from the facility) didn’t flow through back through there. They wanted it to flow onto Route 70. Hopefully the DOT can get that set up so that everything goes right back onto the highway,” said council Vice President Sara Lipsett.
Council also approved, upon second reading, an ordinance, “Revised General Ordinance, Township of Cherry Hill, Chapter X, Traffic Regulations,” which had been tabled from its Feb. 11 session.
“The ordinance refers to East Ormond Avenue. The northwest corner of East Ormond at the intersection of Kings Highway and 200 feet east, is the section covered by the ordinance,” said Cherry Hill Police Chief William “Bud” Monaghan. “There’s no change to the ordinance itself, other than clarification in the wording.”
Monaghan said the request for the change in the ordinance came from residents of two houses on East Ormond closest to the intersection in question, which were not included in the original ordinance. Their concerns stemmed from consistent overflow parking from businesses surrounding the intersection taking away parking spots from residents. Monaghan stated those two homes would be added, per the change in the ordinance.
Monaghan also stated residents are eligible for permits to park on the street, applied through the Traffic Safety Clerk’s office, and that signage exists currently on East Ormond indicating “permit parking only.” More signage would be added in the area around those two houses as well.
“We wouldn’t paint the curbs yellow, because there is parking that is allowed there by the residents that already have the permits,” said Monaghan.
In other news:
- Council also unanimously appointed members to the Cherry Hill Township Rent Review Board.
- Council President David Fleisher revealed the creation of “Catch Up With Council,” a periodic electronic newsletter to be posted on the township’s website as well as its Facebook page, where members of council would be able to elaborate on matters discussed at caucus and during its biweekly meetings, as well as to inform residents about happenings in and around the township.
- Due to the passage of several resolutions, the township saw more than $90,000 in new grant money added to the budget for Fiscal Year 2019.
