To concerned citizens,
The Egg Harbor City Council has started the process of condemning the 400 acre City Lake Park. This park encompasses the land around and including the Egg Harbor City Lake & Campground. You can get an idea of the enormous size of this park by looking at the parcel map here. Their initial goal is to remove the restrictions on the 150 year old Stephen Colwell deed that requires the lake property to remain a public place for eternity. A study by the town planning board has determined that the entire city lake parcel should be condemned and declared as a redevelopment zone, which will remove the deed restrictions and allow the town to subdivide the 400 acre property. The Municipal Land Use Board committee held a meeting on Nov 16th and voted to adopt the redevelopment plan and send the issue to City Council for a vote on declaring the area in need of redevelopment.
The city lake park is rich with history. There is an ancient Lenape migration route (Indian Cabin Rd) that travels by the lake, and that route was later used as a stagecoach road. A mill pond was formed in the 1700s and used by early settlers. The area was home to Timothy Shaler and his family, with Mrs Sibbel Shaler and 3 children buried on the northern outskirts of the lake. The area was also used by the industrious workers of Gloucester Furnace, and the CCC even built cabins and other amenities all over the property. The lake park was also used by Dr Charles Smith and he had a small hotel there in addition to his facilities at the Roundhouse. There is much more that I'm leaving out, but this area is very important in the history of our country.
The entire property is covered under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. The area to the south of the lake is classified as Pinelands Town, and the area directly to the north of the lake is classified as Forest Management Area. The land is currently a mix of upland pine/scrub oak and atlantic white cedar wetlands. The section of woods to be developed has been used as a city compost pile for decades, if not longer.
It seems that this is all being pushed by Tackle Direct. The owner, Mr. Gill, wants to build a 70,000 square foot warehouse directly south of the lake campground, located here. Tackle Direct already drew up plans for their development, but those plans have only been shared with council members and not with the public. Tackle Direct has employed the City's former head of the Town Planning Board, and that person is currently lobbying City Council on behalf of Mr. Gill. If this plan goes through, campers will be subjected to 24/7 tractor-trailer traffic in addition to dealing with HVAC noise and white light from the facility. I'm unsure on how much will be paved over with asphalt, but my guess is that significant clear cutting and paving will occur on the property. The area is rich in biodiversity and the upland forest area is an important buffer for wildlife that live in the adjacent wetlands.
The next meeting is on December 15th at 6pm. They plan to take additional public comment and I'm not sure if any votes are scheduled. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance has taken a role in stopping this project. They have published a petition here to help get the word out and rally support
I'm extremely saddened by this proposal. It seems that nothing is sacred anymore, not even a 150 year old deed that gave the land to the public for all time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
-Mike
The Egg Harbor City Council has started the process of condemning the 400 acre City Lake Park. This park encompasses the land around and including the Egg Harbor City Lake & Campground. You can get an idea of the enormous size of this park by looking at the parcel map here. Their initial goal is to remove the restrictions on the 150 year old Stephen Colwell deed that requires the lake property to remain a public place for eternity. A study by the town planning board has determined that the entire city lake parcel should be condemned and declared as a redevelopment zone, which will remove the deed restrictions and allow the town to subdivide the 400 acre property. The Municipal Land Use Board committee held a meeting on Nov 16th and voted to adopt the redevelopment plan and send the issue to City Council for a vote on declaring the area in need of redevelopment.
The city lake park is rich with history. There is an ancient Lenape migration route (Indian Cabin Rd) that travels by the lake, and that route was later used as a stagecoach road. A mill pond was formed in the 1700s and used by early settlers. The area was home to Timothy Shaler and his family, with Mrs Sibbel Shaler and 3 children buried on the northern outskirts of the lake. The area was also used by the industrious workers of Gloucester Furnace, and the CCC even built cabins and other amenities all over the property. The lake park was also used by Dr Charles Smith and he had a small hotel there in addition to his facilities at the Roundhouse. There is much more that I'm leaving out, but this area is very important in the history of our country.
The entire property is covered under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. The area to the south of the lake is classified as Pinelands Town, and the area directly to the north of the lake is classified as Forest Management Area. The land is currently a mix of upland pine/scrub oak and atlantic white cedar wetlands. The section of woods to be developed has been used as a city compost pile for decades, if not longer.
It seems that this is all being pushed by Tackle Direct. The owner, Mr. Gill, wants to build a 70,000 square foot warehouse directly south of the lake campground, located here. Tackle Direct already drew up plans for their development, but those plans have only been shared with council members and not with the public. Tackle Direct has employed the City's former head of the Town Planning Board, and that person is currently lobbying City Council on behalf of Mr. Gill. If this plan goes through, campers will be subjected to 24/7 tractor-trailer traffic in addition to dealing with HVAC noise and white light from the facility. I'm unsure on how much will be paved over with asphalt, but my guess is that significant clear cutting and paving will occur on the property. The area is rich in biodiversity and the upland forest area is an important buffer for wildlife that live in the adjacent wetlands.
The next meeting is on December 15th at 6pm. They plan to take additional public comment and I'm not sure if any votes are scheduled. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance has taken a role in stopping this project. They have published a petition here to help get the word out and rally support
I'm extremely saddened by this proposal. It seems that nothing is sacred anymore, not even a 150 year old deed that gave the land to the public for all time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
-Mike
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