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Community Corner

New 180 Townhouse Development Approved for Gloucester Township

The Gloucester Township Planning Board on Tuesday night granted unanimous approval to Newman Gloucester Reserve, LLC (NGR), to build a new  housing development in the Sicklerville section of the Township. The Reserves at Independence Square will consist of 180 three-bedroom/one-car garage townhouses and will be located off of Berlin-Cross Keys Road on 22.6 acres of vacant land behind Lowes Home Improvement.

In attendance at the Board meeting were ten residents of the neighboring Wye Oak development. Six residents spoke before the board about their concerns regarding the new townhouses. Most of the speakers voiced concern about the impact of drainage basins, pump stations, and the loss of trees as buffers between the two developments.

In planning since 2006, the development was originally to be a 75 lot residential subdivision that would be age restricted to residents aged 55-years or older. The revised plan does away with the age restriction due the the "evaporation" of the 55+ market in New Jersey.

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NGR is estimating that the total population of The Reserve at Independence Square will be 439 individuals based on 180 units with 2.44 persons per household. The impact on the schools in Gloucester Township will be an additional 44 students throughout Kindergarten to 12th grade, based on 180 units with 0.244 students per household. The projected market absorption rate is approximately 3.5 years.

The development is to have approximately 2.1 acres of common open space that includes greenways and stormwater management facilities. In lieu of additional on-site open space, a payment of $180,000 will be made to facilitate redevelopment of the adjacent Wye Oak Park on Annapolis Drive. There will be direct access from the development to the park.

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Additionally, in lieu of inclusionary affordable housing, NGR will make a Residential Developer Fee in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance. The current Residential Developer Fee is 1.5% of the equalized assessed value and is based on the percentage that applies on the date the residential permits are issued.

The development will be built in four stages and construction will not begin for at least 18 to 24 months. Before construction can begin the townhouses have to be designed, a builder selected, and various approvals received from state, county, and municipal entities.
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