091823 HOLLY RAVINE

The "For Sale" sign at Holly Ravine Farm on Springdale Road, shown here in 2023, came down after Cherry Hill Township purchased the property to preserve as open space.

Cherry Hill's Holly Ravine farm, 23 acres off Springdale Road, will be purchased by the Township to be preserved and kept away from development, the Township announced Monday.

The Township reported it has a purchase agreement for the land from the Gilmour family, which has owned the former dairy farm since the 1930s. 

"Today is a great day for Cherry Hill," Council President David Fleisher said in a statement. "Holly Ravine Farm has long been a cherished part of our community, and I am dedicated to protecting it and ensuring it remains open space for Township residents to enjoy forever."

In an interview, Fleisher told 70and73.com on Monday afternoon that Council will go into executive session at its meeting September 26 and then consider the resolution to approve the agreement of sale.

Fleisher said he could not disclose the sale price, although it was in line with appraisals for the property. The sale price will be in the Council resolution next week.

"It will be preserved as open space and will not be developed ever," Fleisher said in the interview.

Council will solicit ideas for its use from the community, he added. Could it be preserved as farmland? "Everything is on the table," said Fleisher, who noted that he approached the Gilmour family about a sale.

He said the Township can handle the purchase of the land on its own, possibly with bond borrowing, but Camden County and the state will be asked to provide open space funds.

When a senior housing development company announced plans to build on the property, the Township said it had bid on the property years ago. However, indications from the owners were that the offer was low.

A plan by Caddis Acquisition Partners LLC of Dallas to build a 175-unit senior project on the site was opposed by many neighbors and the Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously voted it down on June 1. The property also faces Evesham Road.

Previous 70and73.com coverage of this story:

"My family appreciates the special place that Holly Ravine Farm and the Cowtail Bar hold in so many people's childhood memories," owner Robert Gilmour said in the Township announcement. "Growing up and working on the farm for most of my life, I know what a special place it is. We are thrilled that the property will be saved and remain as open space for generations to come."

Holly Ravine will have preserved neighbors: Across Evesham Road in Voorhees, the Saddlehill winery is permanently preserved as farmland and the Stafford Woods park next to the winery also is preserved under the state Green Acres and another program.

The Holly Ravine land is zoned for single-family homes and the zoning board refused to approve a use variance for the property. That decision left neighbors watching the courts, wondering if Caddis or the Gilmours would file suit. But the deadline to file recently passed.

"I am absolutely thrilled at the outcome," neighbor Eric Ascalon, a leader in the fight against Holly Ravine's development, told 70and73.com Monday afternoon.

"Given the farm's role in the history of the Cherry Hill, and in light of the negative environmental and traffic impact that would result from the development of the parcel, its permanent preservation is a huge win for the entire community," according to Ascalon, who formed the Save the Holly Ravine Farm Facebook page. "It shows exactly what’s possible when citizens speak up, and with a largely unified voice. I am heartened that our local officials got the message, and acted in accordance with it."

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