(C) Copyright Mark Matthews, 2007
Monday there was a special meeting at the Bellmawr Boro Hall to present information regarding the application for "Brownsfield" development status at the landfill project. This meeting discussed many key aspects of the Bellmawr Landfill development project, including Landfill Capping, Public Parks, Development, Water Run-Off, and the Missign Moves Road.
A Brownsfield designation is when a previously industrial and contaminated area is cleaned up and redeveloped for the good of the community. Achieving Brownsfield status makes special government loans available to the project. The recent large projects proposed for Camden (Cramer Hill) and Pennsauken are two examples of other project that were being considered for Brownsfield. The presentation on Monday covered the closing of the landfill, the rain water culvert project, the Green Acres aspect of the project, as well as the latest building layout (not finalized).
I also attended the Council meeting last Thursday, and based on my comments and questions, the Mayor and Borough Solicitor also discussed the Landfill project. Some of that information is embedded in this commentary.
There was also a meeting last Wednesday regarding the project... it was different aspects of the project, and truthfully I missed last Wednesday's meeting and don't know the distinctions between the two... but here is Monday's meeting highlights.
A few quick "teaser" points:
1. Deptford is on board.
2. Capping has not started, but is expected to start this year and take 10 months
3. The trees had to be removed, as they will break the seal on the top of the landfill. After capping of the landfill is complete, the trees will be replanted.
4. Development work is expected to start NEXT YEAR.
5. Multi-phased, but will take up to 10 years to be fully developed.
6. Bellmawr will recieve the area’s "Premier" recreational facility, as all of the waterfront will be converted into parkland... FIRST!
7. All levels and sections of the Government see this project as a Win, Win, Win, Win.... and are working very closely with the developer and town to make this project happen.
At the Council Meeting, I specifically asked the mayor about Deptford’s “buy-in” on the project. He strongly stated they are 100% on board with the project, are actively engaged in the discussions, and to a degree are following our lead. The Deptford land in the landfill does not have any access points (short of building a bridge across the creek) so it really can not be developed without Bellmawr. One thing I do disagree with the Mayor on.. Is that he explains the Deptford land as being just a small, relatively unimportant parcel. But actually, the Deptford land is the center section of the land fill… shaped like a mushroom cloud with the top of it almost meeting up with Creek Rd at mid-point between the Creek Rd Curve and Essex Ave. While it may not be large, its placement is key. (Additional commentary later)
There were at least a dozen people in attendance, and only a few from Bellmawr (who were not in council). A key presenter was an Ecological consultant. The developer, Charles Gallub (Develcom) also presented. Also on hand were the borough solicitor, and an Environmental Attorney.
Landfills:
There are actually three landfills within "the dump", one of which is located in Deptford... and surprisingly it is the center portion that is within Deptford. The portion where the eco-center is located is the Dewey Blanton landfill, the center is Fazzio Deptford, and to the right (along Rt 42) is Fazzio Bellmawr. The center parcel falls within Deptford because at one time the creek actually curved up close to Creek road, and the boundary between Bellmawr and Deptford was established to follow the river (as is normally the case). As the landfill progressed, Fazzio was given permission to fill this in creating new land, but the border between the two towns remains as if the creek still traveled that way! (can you imagine someone trying to fill in a river with trash in 2007.. it would never happen!). The section closest to Rt 42 is the Fazzio Bellmawr land. It is also the area that is the highest as it was open the longest time and received the largest portion of trash.
The consultant then spoke of the history of the landfills, showing aerial shots from 1971 and 1978, as well as current. He also described that the landfills never received an official permit to operate, and they were operating under a temporary permit while many factors were being reviewed. It wasn't until the Environmental agencies started demanding monitoring wells and other requests, that the dumping stopped. The developer was also looking to increase the acreage that the landfill was operating on. According to the consultant, amazingly because the landfill was never given an official permit, the landfill operators where able to skip-out without ever closing off the landfill. As crazy as this sounds, in hindsight we should just be glad the whole process ended because if he had received an official landfill permit, who knows how large the pile of trash would be... not to mention a higher level of contamination.
Run-off Water Control:
A key early portion of the discussion reviewed the plans for controlling water run-off. The environmental company (RT Environmental) was hired to do soil samples, water and other samples... and in this process they realized 2 large drainage pipes that run under the landfills were unusable (one was blocked and unstable, the other was never located and it is speculated that the landfill operator removed or crushed it). The need for these pipes, and a replacement system, is to move water that "runs-off" from the center part of Bellmawr, Rt 42, the landfill, and the new development. The piping actually starts on the other side of 42. Right at the exit of 42 is a small water collecting pond and pipe entry, and I believe other pipes (from streets) feed into this piping. The pipe runs under Rt 42, and when it meets up with the landfill it takes an angle down towards the Creek. With the collapsed pipes, this water has no place to go. The presenters and the mayor made very strong statements about the current risks associated with the broken pipes... such as flooding potentials in that entire area.
The plan to correct this is a 6 million dollar project that will build a culvert alongside Rt 42 (between 42 and the landfill) which will run to the creek to carry the water. The culvert will be 35 feet under the ground, and will be engineered to handle an enormous amount of water! It is also being placed so deep so that future construction such as roadways, buildings or the Patco Speedline extension can be built on top. Federal funding is being solicited to pay for this project, and responsibility is being split across multiple parties.
Capping:
If you were to walk the landfill, especially in the low lying areas, you would see trash coming up to the surface. This is evident in the newsletter at BellmawrWaterfront.com. The low areas are of particular concern in that they are so low, they frequently flood. This is unacceptable in a landfill as that flooding allows contaminants to enter the water and streams. Also, as noted in the bullets, the trees HAD to be cleared as the roots of the trees, coupled with no capping soil, was introducing points for the contaminants to exit the soil. When the capping is complete, trees will be replanted. The consultant then reviewed the multi-layered process of capping the landfill. It amounts to about 12 feet of new soil (and other clean fill), as well as a protective membrane. Even with the variation of height between the high and low section (he says it is 14 feet... but man, it still looks like more than that to me) they expect to be able to regrade the property with no more than a 3% slope... and they will not be moving any existing landfill material, only adding clean soil.
Capping is expected to start early fall of this year, and take 10 months to complete. The dirt that has been brought in now is really just to stabilize the ground for truck and monitoring activities.
Green Acres, and the Premier Park:
Developer Charles Gallub spoke about the Green Acres problem, and also gave information on the current status of the project's overall design. To start, Green Acres is a state program started decades ago to protect open space for public use. In the 70s, Bellmawr applied for, and was granted, a $40,000 Green Acres loan for the area where the Eco-Center now stands. The landfill underneath the environmental center was not properly capped. Note: It was mentioned that under today's guidelines for Green Acres, the eco-center land would not qualify!
The problem today is that rules were put in place to protect land acquired via Green Acres funds. Basically, the government didn’t want to provide loans or funds for land, turn it over to a town, and then have the town sell the property to developers at a profit. One rule that was implemented to protect this from happening is that if Green Acres land were to be redeveloped, it must be replaced with other land.... 2 acres for 1. (It was implied that there are different ratios and that 2 for 1 is the best ratio available. This had to be applied for and approved). Many options were investigated regarding where to find this extra land, including talking to Gloucester Twp to see if something could be done with the Moffa's Farm land.
The plan that looks like will be approved, is to split the land requirements into two areas. First, approximately 15 acres of land near West Deptford's Riverwinds complex will be purchased and deeded as public park land. The most exciting part is 18 acres of land within the landfill... the most beautiful part of the landfill.. the waterfront, will be converted into a public park. The entire waterfront will be a park, with a Marina and additional public use buildings. All of the land, marina, and buildings will be turned over to the government to be owned and managed (local or county government ownership to be determined).
Both the developer and the consultant spoke about how healthy and clean the Timber Creek is in the area of the landfill, and that already this area is being used by recreational boaters and water skiers. (I’ve seen this myself, and have pictures of people using this waterway… including someone on a jet ski!)
Mr Gallub presented aerial photos of the landfill, indicating the parkland. He also stated very clearly, that the parks will be among the first thing built. In fact, I don’t believe he has much choice as the Green Acres issue must be resolved before he (and NJDOT) can build in other parts of the landfill. That being said, Mr. Gallub comes across as very genuine and honest in making this a premier park and place to visit. To paraphrase, he stated that "they were taking one of the worst examples of a Green Acres project and turning it into a premier park". He clearly stated, that at minimum, the landfill will be properly capped, and the Waterfront park will be built… all to the benefit of Bellmawr.
An interesting statement by Mr Gallub, one in which I’ve heard rumor of before, is that there are plans (talks, ideas) to redevelop the rest of the Timber Creek waterfront, all along Creek Road… so that from the Landfill (and maybe even further down the creek) up to the entrance of the Delaware River, the waterfront will be completely redeveloped. Those areas are outside the scope of Mr Gallub’s project, so I’ll have to remember to ask more questions of our elected officials, or even better.. our County officials. (This is less than a block from my house, which is near Bellmawr Lake.. so I really want to find out the details.)
Missing Moves:
The missing moves project was also discussed. Missing Moves is the NJDOT road project that will connect 295 (from Gloucester County) to Rt 42 (and the AC expressway). Currently you can not drive 295 from the south (Delaware) and enter onto Rt 42 South. This causes traffic on our local roads as cars must exit 295 in Bellmawr and drive to a Rt 42 entrance. Likewise, traveling on Rt 42 North (from AC) you cannot connect to 295 south.
The most obvious and direct route is to run a road through the land fill... the exact same place as the proposed development. The original plans put forth by the NJ Department of Transportation had the road running closer to the water front, closer to the ground, and provided no entrance for the residents of Bellmawr. The developer mentioned that the Mayor was instrumental in working with the NJ DOT to change their designs to accommodate the reuse of the landfill and to provide Bellmawr residents and access point to the new road (near "Dead Man's Curve" at Creek Road).
The current plan is that the Missing Moves road will be further from the waterfront allowing the previously mentioned parks, new development, access from Bellmawr roads and access roads underneath (original plan would have completely shut-off the waterfront as it did not accommodate roads). The developer showed additional aerial shots that showed the current projected placement of the road, and the most recent layout for the development.
Development
Mr Gallub then presented the most current project map, which indicates the waterfront parks, the Missing Moves roadway, and finally the building layout. In comparison to early project renderings, it does seem that there are fewer buildings slated for the project now. The project is will be implemented in 3 phases, with the area closest to Rt 42 being developed first. Unfortunately I can’t recall 100% which is part is next, but I believe the eco-center section would be developed second.
There will be at least two roads into the landfill, the current main road into the landfill, and I believe a second new road at Creek Road. I couldn’t determine if there was a new overpass at 42 as was shown in other project drawings.
The layout ends up being “pistol” shaped. The area closest to 42 has a roadway that loops around that section.. basically following the outline of the higher part of the landfill. This is where most of the buildings will be located. The road then continues across the landfill towards the eco center (the barrel of the pistol). The center portion is actually Deptford, and currently there was only one large building and I believe a few smaller buildings depicted. As the road moved into the Eco-Center area it did another small loop (the sight of the pistol) and had buildings surrounding the looped road.
Also depicted next to Rt 42 was an office building, which included a dotted line representation of the expanded Patco Speedline connecting with the new building. While this Speedline expansion is not approved and the final choice has not been made, the developer was allocating space for the Speedline.
Based on my questioning, Mr Gallub also discussed another project of his in Voorhees that was recently cancelled. He sited several reasons to the press for that project being cancelled, and in the meeting he clarified that none of those factors come into play for the Bellmawr project. I’ll spare you the details…
Patco
I had noticed the dotted line on the aerial shot, and asked about the Patco Speedline project. Actually, I asked a TON of questions, many which turned into information presented here. Specific to Patco, I asked if the Patco Terminal in Bellmawr was a deal-maker for the landfill project. The developer had made this clear earlier in the project.. that “transit village” status was key. It now seems that either this isn’t as important now, or the developer has a pretty good indication that the Speedline is coming to Bellmawr (my interpretation). Mr Gallub stated that 3 of the 4 proposed Patco routes head down Rt 42, so odds are pretty good that the expansion would head down 42. The 4th proposed route would head down 295 area I believe, utilizing existing rails. While that may make it easier to implement, I believe that when you consider the Bellmawr project is moving along somewhat rapidly (with an amazing scope), and the rapid population growth taking place in Deptford, Washington Twp, Gloucester Twp, and a Williamstown.. that a Patco route down 42 would be more favorable.
Now for my third mention of Deptford. Considering the location of Depford’s land in the project and that it really was inaccessible from Deptford (and not maintainable) I asked if there was a possibility for Bellmawr to take over the land. For development alone, it seems like dealing with one town would stream line things… but then I asked about municipal services… If Deptford has no direct access, how could they provide fire, police, and schooling? Would it come down to a block by block designation? Bellmawr has its own water department, so would the outer sections be Bellmawr water, and the interior section something else?
Well, this is obviously already on the radar of the government and the developer. They had no specifics, but they clearly stated they are discussing different options on how to handle it…all ideas are being considered.
Speaking of water… a consideration comes to mind as I type this. Bellmawr is very fortunate in the area of water because we have been able to stay below our mandated usage minimums and can continue to provide our own drinking water. Once we cross over the quota, we need to find another source, which probably means the American Water Company.. whose rates are rumored to be FOUR times Bellmawr’s. So.. the question… will all this growth in Bellmawr put us over our quota and kick-in the American Water Company Rates?
After the meeting, in a small discussion, I even asked about Liquor Licenses. A big project like this will probably want restaurants or taverns serving alchohol. I was informed that there may be no avaiable Liquor Licenses in Bellmawr. The one from the Finish Line was allowed to expire by the owner, and it can’t be reclaimed. I believe the Coral Reef license is still out there, but is attached to the Coral Reef property… and Bellmawr Lake purchased the Disalvio’s Liquor license for a measly $11,000 just a few years ago. My point is that there aren’t many options for Liquor licenses, and it may make the few options available VERY valuable when the developer comes knocking to purchase. Extreme examples…The Cheesecake Factory and the Cherry Hill Mall each spent 1 million dollars for what really amounted to was a liquor license.
My Summary:
This project is real. This project is going to happen. It really does solve a lot of tough issues for many people…. I believe that every facet of the regional Government sees tremendous value in this project, and I believe that the Government (and agencies) are all working together to make this project work. One easy piece of evidence is that the Missing Moves road development was supposed to start this year, and they have delayed the project and re-worked the design.
I remember following the approval of new stadiums in Philadelphia for the Eagles and Phillies, where for the longest time it seemed like all we heard was random comments and chatter, and then BAM.. they started building. I see the Bellmawr Project as being in that stage where a lot of “up-front” work is being done, some stories are getting around… and one day before too long many people in Bellmawr are going to be surprised when the start seeing major things happening at the landfill.
Nothing is a Win-Win. And there are still many questions to be asked, especially from the residents of Bellmawr. I have additional questions I want to ask to confirm “what is Bellmawr’s monetary involvement in this process (i.e. drainage pipes)”, or what happens to our water costs as development increases? Please feel free to contact me if you have comments or questions markmatt@comcast.net... Also, the Mayor and the developer have both stated that they are eager to answer questions regarding this project.
As I mentioned, I also attended the Council meeting and I have copious notes on the discussion. Work and family has kept me busy this week, so I chose to focus on the comments about the development. I expect that in a few days I’ll go back and post information from the council meeting.