A developer wants to build a car wash on the site of the gas station at the busy intersection of White Horse and Evesham roads in Voorhees. The residential property behind the station would hold the car wash building with parking on the site of the gas station.
A developer wants Voorhees to allow it to demolish a gasoline station and home at the busy intersection of White Horse and Evesham roads on the Cherry Hill border and build a three-lane car wash.
One of the two lots is zoned rural residential and a car wash is not a permitted use. TNG Voorhees LLC needs the zoning board of adjustment to grant a use variance, an exception from zoning law.
The zoning board's web page indicates the application will be heard at the November 12 meeting.
Entrance/exit driveways would be installed on Evesham Road and on White Horse Road, according to the developer's plans. The intersection also is fed from Springdale Road on the Cherry Hill side.Â
The Shoppes at Holly Ravine and the Holly Ravine Farm are on the northwest corner, a ShopRite supermarket is on the northeast corner and Saddlehill Winery is on the southeast corner.
The former Shell station at 1607 Evesham Road is owned by TNG Voorhees LLC of San Diego. TNG and three others purchased the property from Voorhees Shell in 2017 for $1,658,112, according to Camden County property records.
Ferriol C. Apistar and Crisanta B. Apistar own the residential property at 1502 White Horse Road, which would be demolished as part of the project.
Securing a use variance requires an enhanced burden of proof on the impact on the community, according to a review letter by zoning board planner and engineer Artheon.
The project would require demolishing the gas station and the house behind it (in yellow outline). Saddlehill Winery is on the right and Holly Ravine Farm is in the upper left.
TNG Voorhees will need to persuade the zoning board that "allowing a car wash on this site would not have a substantial negative impact of the character of the community or quality of life on nearby residents and businesses," Artheon wrote.
In its application, TNG stated that the gas station and service shop had been there for decades and the "site is ripe for redevelopment."
"The proposed development promotes the general welfare by facilitating the productive redevelopment of an underutilized property," TNG stated.
The lots together total about 1.6 acres.Â
A 11,182-square-foot car wash building would be located entirely on the residential lot. The gas station lot would be used for parking.
TNG Voorhees stated that 16 spaces of on-site queuing and additional stacking between kiosks and the wash tunnel would be "designed to prevent queue spillback onto public roadways."
