Cherry Hill, Evesham/Marlton, Medford, Medford Lakes, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees and elsewhere near the iconic state highways of Routes 70 and 73.
The heavily wooded lot on Old Marlton Pike in Medford. Old Marlton Pike turns to the left in this photo. In the distance, on the right, is the intersection with Route 70.
The heavily wooded lot on Old Marlton Pike in Medford. Old Marlton Pike turns to the left in this photo. In the distance, on the right, is the intersection with Route 70.
A developer that failed to get Medford Township permission to build a large self-storage facility on Old Marlton Pike got the go-ahead on Wednesday night to build a day care center and retail store on the same wooded site.
Fieldstone at Medford LLC, which has common ownership with the Barclay Chase apartments on Route 70 in Evesham, won unanimous, 7-0, preliminary and final major site plan approval for the project from the Planning Board for the 10,000-square-foot Learning Experience day care center.
The Learning Experience chain of centers has about 80 in New Jersey and a total of about 400 centers operating internationally, plus about 200 in various stages of development, a company representative said at the meeting.
Hours at the center, which will care for children from 6 months to 6 years, will be from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to testimony. The day care corporation is based in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
A second 10,640-square-foot building, described only a "variety store" in the application, received only preliminary site plan approval because a tenant has yet to be identified.
Some board members said they were concerned with the notion of clear-cutting trees from the heavily wooded property. Because of grading requirements, many of the trees will need to be removed, including those facing Old Marlton Pike, according to testimony by the developer's representatives.
No one from the public testified at the hearing.
The 4.65-acre property at 196-198 Old Marlton Pike sits on the bend of the road, near the Route 70 intersection.Â
