Vehicle salvage company asking Monroe to use Black Horse Pike site

Joseph P. Smith, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·2 min read

MONROE TWP — A national operator of wrecked vehicle “salvage pools” is hoping for township approval this week to start operations on a roughly 60-acre property off South Black Horse Pike near Coles Mill Road.

Copart of Connecticut Inc., which is based in Texas, needs local Zoning Board approvals because the site, designated a Rural Development-Commercial District, does not allow for storing wrecked vehicles for sale.

The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the plan on Thursday night. What might be a point in favor of Copart is the property, actually two lots, is used for industrial activity now and has few residential neighbors.

More: 'Zombie Wedding' presents a 'slice' of South Jersey for horror-comedy fans for Halloween

More: Deptford Mall welcomes Bonesaw's newest venture ... and newest beers

Copart has pursued the site for more than a year. In July 2022, it obtained from zoning officials a finding that its proposed facility was different than a “junkyard” for the purpose of regulation.

The site is used now as the “Williamstown Yard” of International Process Plants of Princeton Junction. IPP sells used and second-hand processing plants for a variety of industries, including chemical and pharmaceutical.

The Williamstown Yard of International Process Plants at 3398 South Black Horse Pike (Route 322) near Coles Mill Road in the Williamstown section of Monroe Township. The property is included in about 60 acres up for sale to Copart of Connecticut Inc. of Dallas Texas. Copart proposes, with Zoning Board approval, to establish one of its wrecked vehicle "salvage pools' there. PHOTO: Oct. 17, 2023.

According to a Copart engineering report to the township, the property appears presently to have “cars, storage containers, and other construction equipment scattered throughout the facility.” An existing house would be converted for office use and a 6,600-square-foot warehouse for “day-to-day operations,” the proposal states.

Copart is stressing it would not have a big environmental impact, stating its operations do not involve dismantling or crushing vehicles, draining fluids, parts sales, or vehicle stacking. The average time of stay on site for a vehicle is 50 to 60 days, it states in its application.

This house at 3398 South Black Horse Pike is in front of the International Process Plants Williamstown Yard. About 60 acres including the yard is up for sale for use by Copart of Connecticut Inc. of Dallas Texas for a wrecked vehicle 'salvage pool.' The Monroe Township Zoning Board must approve the proposal. The board is to have a hearing on Oct. 19. PHOTO: Oct. 17, 2023.

The company did not respond immediately Tuesday to a question about the storage of vehicles outside versus storage inside.

Angie Campos, who lives close by on Black House Pike, said Tuesday that people understand the area has a lot of commercial users.

“It’s good,” Campos said. “I can’t complain about it.”

The application also states that Copart sites are not subject to a high level of “regulation” or “scrutiny from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP is a property stakeholder in the area because of the proximity of the Winslow Fish and Wildlife Area.

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.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Auto salvage sales business likes Black Horse Pike