An elevation shows one of the styles of homes that would be built on the former Freeway Golf Course in Gloucester Township.
A controversial Gloucester Township development plan for 743 residential units on the site of the nation's first African American-owned, 18-hole golf course is scheduled before the zoning board on Wednesday.
Freeway Golf Course was purchased by four Black businessmen in 1967 and saw the last round of golf played in November 2015. The 154-acre property at 1858 Sicklerville Road was offered for sale in 2016.
Hamilton-based US Home LLC, doing business as Lennar, filed with the Township as the developer of the $292-million project. Lennar Corp. is a national homebuilder founded in 1954 with national headquarters in Miami. Lennar (LEN) is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The property owner is Black Horse Properties LLC of Blackwood, according to the application.
Some neighbors have banded together to oppose the development, posting their objections on the Friends of Freeway Facebook page. A post on Saturday with the agenda of the 7 p.m. meeting says "Don't let this builder determine the fate of OUR community! He'll make millions and leave us to deal with the mess."
"We have our research, we have our facts, we have our attorney and planner! The last thing we need is your attendance," according to the page, which also featured photos of wildlife asking: "We are taking their homes. Where will they go?"
The proposed development would be "a mixture of 177 single-family detached homes with an average sales price of $497,000, 67 (now 63) age-restricted single family detached homes with a sales price of $469,000, along with 222 traditional townhouse units and 168 stacked townhouse units with estimated sales prices of $430,000 and $365,000, respectively," according to Lennar's plans.
Estimated monthly rent for the 113 affordable housing rental apartments would be $1,240.
A fiscal-impact analysis by Richard B. Reading Associates submitted with the application states that the Freeway Pointe development would add 2,086 residents and require $1,698,000 in municipal services, which would be offset by the estimated $2,542,230 in municipal tax revenue from the homeowners.Â
The financial study also expects that 214 students would live in Freeway Pointe and attend the Gloucester Township school district and 101 students would attend the Black Horse Pike Regional School District. The higher costs from the new students would be more than offset by property taxes, according to the analysis.
The former Freeway Golf Course in Gloucester Township is adjacent to Timber Brook Regional High School (right).Â
