Widening of Atsion Rd. in Shamong/Indian Mills

[NewSchoolPiney]

Not sure if anyone travels Atsion Rd. between Rte. 206 and Willow Grove (it's my daily route to exploring in the pines) but it seems they are widening the road by a substantial amount and intruding into the forest. There are stakes about 3 to 4 feet off of the tarmac on each side. I'll get a picture up here later on today or tomorrow.

I'm all for widening the road as I also ride my bike down there on the weekends and the lack of a shoulder is very scary sometimes. However, it just seems like it wasn't necessary to stake out that big of an area.

Just an FYI.

Justin

 

[Boyd]

Interesting. I live a little farther up on Atsion Rd in Medford. My property was recently surveyed when I moved here, and the plan indicates "10' row wide strip dedicated to Medford Township for future road widening purposes."

I had noticed surveyors on Atsion in the are you describe several months ago and wondered if something was afoot. I don't really understand the need to widen that section of of Atsion myself, the problem area is up where I am in Medford. That road is quite narrow, considering the Kamikaze drivers that speed through here. Have seen two or three bad accidents near my house in as many years living here. I have to slow way down to turn into my little sand driveway, and it feels like a suicide mission when some monster SUV is tailgating me; the narrow road doesn't allow enough room for them to pass more often than not.

From a purely selfish standpoint, I wish they would just block off Atsion at the Medford Township line so it didn't go all the way through to 206. There are just too many people driving too fast who are in a big hurry to get somewhere.

 

[Stu]

...why don't they widen a road that needs it? Like, I dunno, 70?

 

[Rubibee]

...why don't they widen a road that needs it? Like, I dunno, 70?

Yeah or how about Route 73 - know that's a parking lot from 38 to 70 (or further) pretty much any time of the day.



--Bev

 

[Teegate]

Interesting. I live a little farther up on Atsion Rd in Medford. My property was recently surveyed when I moved here, and the plan indicates "10' row wide strip dedicated to Medford Township for future road widening purposes."

I had noticed surveyors on Atsion in the are you describe several months ago and wondered if something was afoot. I don't really understand the need to widen that section of of Atsion myself, the problem area is up where I am in Medford. That road is quite narrow, considering the Kamikaze drivers that speed through here. Have seen two or three bad accidents near my house in as many years living here. I have to slow way down to turn into my little sand driveway, and it feels like a suicide mission when some monster SUV is tailgating me; the narrow road doesn't allow enough room for them to pass more often than not.

From a purely selfish standpoint, I wish they would just block off Atsion at the Medford Township line so it didn't go all the way through to 206. There are just too many people driving too fast who are in a big hurry to get somewhere.

Boyd,

Don't take this the wrong way because I understand your concern about the speed of drivers on Atsion road, but it was not that long ago when there were hardly any houses on Atsion road and I could drive down it without a problem. It was a very convenient way to get to 206 from my house in Marlton.

So the residents who move onto Atsion road must taken notice of this, and understand this will happen before they even think of purchasing on the road.

Around ten years ago some of the newer residents of the development in Marlton my mom lives in, and I grew up in, tried to have one of the streets closed off to try to stop the vehicle's from using it as a cut through to 73. So at the next township meeting all of the residents of the development attended and stated their points. I stood up and asked who in the room has never cut through a development to save time. Nobody raised their hand. Then a police officer told the crowd that he had set up a speed trap to address the residents concerns, and out of 15 stopped the majority were residents and their family's. One was the mother of the person doing all the complaining. In the end the appropriate action was taken, and the street is open as it should be.



Guy

 

[Boyd]

Don't take this the wrong way because I understand your concern about the speed of drivers on Atsion road, but it was not that long ago when there were hardly any houses on Atsion road

No offense taken... the house I bought in 2002 was built in 1971 when there was nothing else here and Atsion was a dirt road. Two neighbors with adjoining properties also moved here back then and it sounds like it was quite a place (BTW, they say "old timers" told them that this whole area was largely destroyed by a forest fire about 75 years ago... anyone ever hear of that?).

Anyway, I detest the development here as much as anybody and suspect it is going to drive me away before much longer, as one of the latest sites is adjacent to my property. It also saddens me to see the tacky, poorly built, overpriced new homes they're building. They start by clearcutting everything in sight, then later they put down sod and plant all kinds of things that would never exist in the pines. My home is very much in harmony with its surroundings, no lawn at all, the trees grow right up to the house. The home itself is raw cedar sided and you can't even see it from the road, or until you get right up to it for that matter. Sadly, nobody wants this sort of thing anymore which is why I got such a great deal. And in the end when I finally do sell it someone will probably just tear it down and figure out how to build more than one house on my 3.2 acres. This is what we call progress.

I wasn't at all serious about closing Atsion Rd, I know that won't happen. Personally you won't ever find me speeding through here, I'm just not in that much of a hurry and it's really a pet peeve for me. When you come down this way on one of your trips out to the pines I hope you'll hold it down to 45 MPH as well

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

When you come down this way on one of your trips out to the pines I hope you'll hold it down to 45 MPH as well

It's not even smart to speed through there. The section of forest after that gigantic mansion is like a deer gauntlet.

There's another two cents from me. I think up up to a nickel for today . . .

Justin

 

[Boyd]

Getting back to the original post on this topic.... I was driving on that section of Atsion today and saw all the surveyors stakes. Actually It doesn't look like that big of a deal to me. I think all that they're doing is creating a wider paved shoulder that will become a bike path, just like the section north of there. It doesn't look like they're going to cut any trees or widen the driving lanes, just make room for cyclists.

 

[Teegate]

Getting back to the original post on this topic.... I was driving on that section of Atsion today and saw all the surveyors stakes. Actually It doesn't look like that big of a deal to me. I think all that they're doing is creating a wider paved shoulder that will become a bike path, just like the section north of there. It doesn't look like they're going to cut any trees or widen the driving lanes, just make room for cyclists.

I wonder if the cyclists have that much pull that they can have the county widen roads for them in particular area's, or is it just a planned widening?

Does anyone know who owns that mansion? Do they own the sod farm there?


Guy

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

It doesn't look like they're going to cut any trees or widen the driving lanes, just make room for cyclists.

I did notice a few larger trees inside the staked area with two white paint stripes on them. Looks to me like they'll be taking them down. I think I saw at least 3 or 4.

Justin

 

[Teegate]

Since we are discussing that property there, it is interesting to note that in the 70's that field was a very popular place for dog sled racing. Here is a photo I took there back then. I have another one that shows the field better but I can't find it at this moment.


http://mywebpages.comcast.net/islandtee/343.jpg


Guy

 

[Boyd]

Yes it does look like a few trees will come down, I saw "cut" sprayed on one. Drove through today and noticed that the project also includes improved drainage. There are a number of big precast concrete drywells staged along the sides of the road.

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

Yes it does look like a few trees will come down, I saw "cut" sprayed on one. Drove through today and noticed that the project also includes improved drainage. There are a number of big precast concrete drywells staged along the sides of the road.

I saw those too, Boyd. To be honest, I've never seen or heard of a drainage problem there, though. Is there any chance new development might be occuring in the near future or is this land in the Preservation area of the Pinelands Management Act?

Justin

 

[Boyd]

That's funny, I thought the exact same thing - that has always been a good stretch of road. But I see them putting in similar systems all the time. My guess is that the state or county requires you to bring drainage up to current codes whenever you improve a road. When I drove through there yesterday they were stopping traffic as they were burying the drainage system. I don't think that area can be developed, it's part of Wharton State Forest.

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

Update:

I went to the Shamong Twp. town meeting last night with one of my friends.

The drainage systems have been finished but they are waiting for quotes to take down 3 larger trees (36" in diameter).

During the time for public comment, there was a woman who lived on Atsion Rd. who made a comment regarding to the placement of the drainage systems, saying that they weren't in the right place where the water was laying.

However, I have never, ever seen any water laying on that road. There are no lakes, wetlands, streams that close to the road (except Atsion Lake which is only right on the road towards 206) and it's obvious that the woods surrounding the road are part of the Pine Barrens (aka sandy, porous, quickly draining medium).

Next, my friend simply asked why they were widening the road. We were told it was to accomodate bicyclists, walkers (have you ever seen a non-hunter walk down that road?), and emergency vehicles trying to get to 206. I ride my bike down that road all the time to get to Goshen, Quakerbridge, Atsion, etc. Though it can be tricky, I don't see a need to make the shoulder ~5 feet in width to accomodate the 1.5 ft. wingspan of a bicycle.

Also, it is being funded by the state (or county? the mayor spoke at a rediculously low volume the entire time) as they had already widened Atsion Rd. on the other side of Oakshade/Jackson Rd. The engineer had argued that they finished the other side of Atsion, so it was a continuation of the project. But there are already houses there, not undeveloped woods like in that one section they are widening.

I still think it's unnessary, especially when they are taking down 3 huge trees, not to mention the countless smaller ones they will be tearing out. That road is one of the few roads left in Shamong (we like to call it, Medford Part II) that still has character. Add in the runoff from construction vehicles right into our aquifers and it seems like a poorly planned project.

I may just be clinging to the yesteryears, but I hate to see continued destruction of the Pine Barrens, no matter how little in the face of mindless and rampant development.

BTW Lynbrook Tavern (the failed bar/restaraunt that replaced the esteemed 'Countryside Inn') on the corner of Indian Mills Rd. and Oakshade Rd, is going to be taken over by the owner's of Medford's 'Riviera Restaraunt.' They had a motion to approve the ABC liquor license documents transfering the rights to them.

Peace,

Justin

 

[Boyd]

I just drove up Atsion Rd around 4:30 PM today as they were completing the final touches of repaving the widened section between Rt 206 and that big estate. Nice smooth layer of asphalt...

 

[Teegate]

I just drove up Atsion Rd around 4:30 PM today as they were completing the final touches of repaving the widened section between Rt 206 and that big estate. Nice smooth layer of asphalt...

Great for people to race on

Speaking of that, on Jackson road near the Mullica bridge there is a second memorial there, this time for those people who were killed a few weeks back. That car started on fire and it is all burned out around it.

Guy

 

[suresue592003]

There was an accident last Sunday right next to the Batsto Church on Pleasentville/Nesco Road. Is that where you are referring too?

 

[Teegate]

There was an accident last Sunday right next to the Batsto Church on Pleasentville/Nesco Road. Is that where you are referring too?

No. This was on Jackson road near the Mullica River Bridge.

Guy

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

No. This was on Jackson road near the Mullica River Bridge.

Guy

I couldn't believe the damage that was done due to that accident. It looks like someone dropped a small bomb from a plane. The trees in a 10 - 15 ft. radisu are all charred and burnt and there are trees knocked down for the first 5 - 10 ft of that path of destruction.

Justin