A photo of one of the dirt roads through the site from the developer's endangered species report.
A residential developer proposes to build about 270 single-family homes in Evesham on heavily forested and undeveloped Pinelands property next to the protected Black Run Preserve.Â
The developer's plan shows that the southernmost area of 778 acres would be cleared for the homes. The overall property is more than half the size of the expansive 1,300-acre Black Run Preserve.
The first hurdle for Voorhees-based Devel LLC to build on the land along Kettle Run Road is to secure a Certificate of Filing from the state Pinelands Commission, which now is in the process of reviewing Devel's application.
The blue outlines show lots covering acreage that Devel LLC of Voorhees wanted to develop next to the Black Run Preserve. Now it will be protected from development.
Keith M. Carter, the commission's regulatory program specialist, told 70and73.com that Devel submitted the application last November. He said the commission staff needs to review the potential environmental impact of the development and whether it meets rules and regulations.
If Devel secures the certificate, the next step would be to apply to Evesham Township for permission to build. The public is permitted to testify at Township board meetings considering new developments. Although the Pinelands Commission does not hold public hearings for certificate applications, the public can submit comments to the commission.
Devel lists its address as 479 Centennial Boulevard in Voorhees on its application. The property is owned by Kettle Run Investments LLC, which lists a post office box in West Berlin.
Each LLC appears to be owned by members of the Samost family, with Linda Samost and lawyer Stephen Samost listed as owners. A 70and73.com email to the project's engineer, Richard J. Clemson of James Sassano Associates Inc. of Hammonton, was not answered by Monday afternoon.
Besides submitting conceptual plans for the development, Devel also provided the Pinelands Commission with studies of the property's wildlife, including threatened or endangered species.
The plan for the housing development turned on its side for a north-south orientation. The plan indicates Tomlinson Mill Road would be extended south and feed into the development.
Pemberton-based Herpetological Associates Inc., retained by Devel to conduct an "intensive threatened and endangered wildlife survey," sampled for the state-threatened barred owl and northern pine snake and state-endangered timber rattlesnake.
"Although several various species of snakes were captured in the drift fence traps during the surveys, no northern pine snakes, timber rattlesnakes, or other protected snake species were captured in the traps," according to the firm's report.
Snakes found in the Herpetological Associates 2023 survey were: northern black racer, eastern ratsnake, northern rough green, eastern garter, northern redbelly and north water. The survey also found eastern fence lizard, little brown skink (lizard), woodland box turtle and four-toed salamander. Frogs and toads found were: green frog, southern leopard frog, wood frog, pickerel frog, northern gray treefrog, spring peeper, Fowler's toad and eastern spadefoot.Â
The woodland box turtle and Fowler's toad are species of particular concern, according to the report. Although not endangered or threatened, a species of special concern warrants attention "because of some evidence of decline, inherent vulnerability to environmental deterioration or habitat modification," according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
A Barred Owl, listed by New Jersey as a threatened species, on the development property.
Herpetological Associates researchers also played audio of barred owl vocalizations and they "observed or heard barred owls respond to the call playback audio," according to the firm's report. The firm included a photo of a barred owl found on the land.
A separate study for Devel, by DuBoise & Associates LLC, Manahawkin, found evidence of the threatened Pine Barrens treefrog.
Citing regulations from the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan and Evesham Township, the firm wrote: "The proposed development project must be designed to avoid irreversible adverse impacts on habitats that are critical to the survival of the local population of Pine Barrens treefrog." It recommended that Devel avoid impacting a 300-foot wetlands buffer in the Kettle Run Road site.
The Pinelands Commission redacted the locations of the different species from the reports.
The lush forest on the private land, from the Devel LLC endangered species report.
