Planning for hotels Sept. 22

By ROBERT LINNEHAN

The Planning Board will discuss a possible amendment to the township master plan that would allow for the construction of hotels on both sides of Route 73 tonight, Wed. Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at township hall.

The master plan amendment would include the caveat that hotels can be constructed on both sides of Route 73. At present, hotels are only allowed on the west side of the highway.

Hotels could only be constructed on sites with a minimum of 10 acres and would have to be between three and five stories tall.

The amendment was discussed in July and had to be tabled as members of the Planning Board needed more information to make a decision.

Planning Board Chairman Thomas Fanelli said at the July meeting that more research was needed to make an educated decision in regard to the amendment.

He directed George Stevenson — a planner for Remington, Vernick, and Arango — to look into the legal ramifications of allowing hotels on just one side of Route 73 and to see if there are any feasibility studies for the necessity of additional hotels in Voorhees.

At present, there are only two available parcels of land on the eastern side of Route 73 that would reach the 10-acre minimum, according to the planning board. Up until 2006 hotels were allowed on both sides of the highway.

In July of 2006, the Township Committee passed an ordinance disallowing hotels on the east side of Route 73.