Mantua neighborhood mobilizes over housing proposal

Joseph P. Smith, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·2 min read
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MANTUA TWP. — A proposed housing subdivision here appears set for an Aug. 20 public hearing, but with upset neighbors primed to turn out in opposition with their own attorney.

Local builder Karen Salerno wants to create 13 single-family house lots at 120 Woodlawn Avenue, a property totaling about 7.16 acres. At present, that property holds one house occupied by the current landowners and about 6.1 acres of dense woods classified for tax purposes as “farmland.”

The Salerno application originally was scheduled for a June hearing before the township Land Use Board. That hearing was put off until July, only to be postponed again.In the interim, revised subdivision plans have been submitted to the township.

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Salerno is not commenting on the proposal ahead of the meeting, an employee at her office said Wednesday.

Woodlawn Avenue is a small street that dead ends at the wooded area. It now hosts 17 single-family houses, all on lots under one acre and many dating to the 1920s.

Residents from Woodlawn and neighboring streets have rallied online at Save the Woods Mantua Twp., a Facebook group with more than 300 followers. The group page has spun off an online petition opposing the project and an online donations page to cover legal costs.

Residents have expressed concerns over storm water runof, in an area with flooding issues; a significant increase in traffic; and the loss of the wooded area and its wildlife.

Woodlawn Avenue off Berkley Road in Mantua Township. A 13-unit housing subdivision is proposed on a property of about 7.16 acres, mostly wooded, at the end of the avenue. PHOTO: July 8, 2024.
Woodlawn Avenue off Berkley Road in Mantua Township. A 13-unit housing subdivision is proposed on a property of about 7.16 acres, mostly wooded, at the end of the avenue. PHOTO: July 8, 2024.

Salerno wants the board to waive several requirements to submit reports on the makeup of the forest, on utilities improvements, and on traffic impacts. Area property owners demand those studies be done before any approvals are granted.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Neighbors go online, get lawyer over housing subdivision in Mantua