Republicans Raise Concerns Over Woodcrest, 2011 Housing Plan

Cherry Hill’s Republican challengers in this year’s council election seized on the Woodcrest Country Club dispute Tuesday night, questioning whether their Democratic counterparts had thought through the implications of the township’s housing plan as it relates to the course.

Nancy O’Dowd and Stephen Cohen, who are both running on the Republican slate, raised concerns over recent versions of that housing plan—portions of which date back to 1993—noting the seeming disconnect between what the township has laid out in those plans, versus the current opposition to development at the course, which is now the subject of a lawsuit over a developer’s right to building housing there.

Cohen cited a portion of the 2011 plan, which mentions discussions between Woodcrest Country Club and the township about a proposal by the golf course about putting in a high-density project on the property that would’ve separated the low- and moderate-income units from the market-rate housing, something the township rejected at the time.

He and O’Dowd questioned how council members could reconcile that with their public opposition to development, now that the club’s been sold.

“It seems like you weren’t aware of your own housing plan,” O’Dowd said, noting meeting minutes showing the Democrats had all given the OK to the 2011 version.

But, as township officials pointed out, what the council signed off on was only an acknowledgement those properties would be factored into the township’s affordable housing plan, should they become available for development.

That availability is based on the state Council on Affordable Housing’s definitions, which normally exempts some properties, including farms and member-owned golf courses—as Woodcrest was until its bankruptcy proceedings finished with its sale for $10.1 million to First Montgomery Group.

The council didn’t have a choice in OK’ing that portion of the plan—it’s required under state law, noted Erin Gill, the township’s deputy solicitor and director of policy and planning.

“If those properties become available, you have to factor them into your obligation,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you have to put affordable housing on that property…it just means it counts towards your obligation.

“That wasn’t an approval of housing on Woodcrest.”

It does mean the township’s affordable housing obligation will likely increase, Gill said, but it isn’t clear by how much—exactly how many affordable units are required in Cherry Hill is still in dispute and tied up in litigation.

Council President David Fleisher didn’t address the Republicans’ criticisms directly, but instead reiterated the position he and Mayor Chuck Cahn have already repeated numerous times over the last seven months.

“We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again,” he said. “The mayor and council unanimously oppose any development at the Woodcrest Country Club, period.

“Cherry Hill Township has never approved any housing at the Woodcrest Country Club and is under no legal obligation to do so.”