LOGAN – Warehousing and logistics development keeps chugging along off South Jersey highway corridors like Routes 322 and 130, and depositing welcome jobs and tax ratables here.
Logan is betting the boom is not over and is stretching itself to accommodate. That means proffering the sparsely occupied but strategically interesting Raccoon Island, which largely is notable for waterways, woods, and farming.
Most of Raccoon Island, as of a week ago, is officially a local “redevelopment zone.” That is a meaningful declaration under the New Jersey Redevelopment and Housing statute, opening doors to special planning and financial considerations.
While the Planning Board voted this month to accept the redevelopment plan, as in line with priorities in the 2020 municipal master plan, its review raised questions about some assumptions and how the plan will be implemented.
Logan has another zone next to Route 322, and it is bustling. Officials credit revenues from it with steadying municipal government finances. Discussions on a second zone started in 2020, resulting in a recently completed study.
On Sept. 9, the Planning Board endorsed the study’s findings and recommendations. Its approval freed the Township Council to adopt the Raccoon Island redevelopment plan at its Sept. 21 meeting.
Before the end of 2021, Logan expects to name an entity to assume the role of redeveloper. Whatever company that is will work with local government and owners of roughly 615 acres mapped out for commercial and industrial uses.
Remington & Vernick Engineers prepared the plan. Ashton Jones, a professional planner at the firm, gave an overview of it for the Planning Board.
Jones said the master plan stresses in part capitalizing “on the success of logistic distribution facilities within the township” and supporting similar activities along Route 322.
Jones said the master plan also wants a closer look at the potential of Raccoon Island. The island, adjacent to Bridgeport, is not far from Route 322 and Route 130. The current road net does not offer easy highway inter–connections and that is acknowledged as a “major issue,” he said.
“Maybe not obviously, but this plan is largely driven to provide for logistic facilities,” Jones said. “So, I’m not going say that it’s supporting logistic facilities in that sense. … But, I think, that goal is speaking to the township’s purpose that they, I guess, welcome logistic facilities as a use to keep taxes down and growth continue.”
Jones said most development on the island would be on farmed parcels, since the township wants to keep its wooded areas.
Planning Board Chairman Bob Lowe told Jones, in his opinion, the future of warehousing may not be as promising as it appears now to be.
“And with everybody going to robotics, including Amazon, the job prospects in a warehousing environment are not very good – long term,” Lowe said.
“OK,” Jones said.
“They don’t take lunch breaks,” Lowe said. ”They don’t (file) Workman’s Compensation claims because the item they picked up is too heavy. I mean, there’s a whole bunch of incentives for people to get away from that.”
Lowe then brought up what the job benefits locally might really be. Logan only has about 6,000 residents, he said.
“And I think we have something like 12,000 jobs in the township already,” Lowe said. “That means the people who are filling these jobs have to come from outside of Logan Township, which is added stress for vehicle transportation and the mess that they make on the sides of the roads and everything else.”
Jones said he thinks the township recognizes it must address traffic issues, including current parking concerns.
Raccoon Island is adjacent to the Delaware River and Raccoon Creek, north of Route 130 and west of Route 322.
Ferry Road borders a number of the identified lots on the island. Near its one end, there is roughly a mile and a half of two-lane, concrete road that is posted “closed.” Bushes encroach from both sides, and grass runs along or atop its yellow median stripes.
The area is close enough to the river to see ship funnels passing by or to watch traffic along the Commodore Barry Bridge.
The redevelopment plan targets eight lots of widely varying sizes, with four labeled as definitely “contemplated for development.” Two other lots are partially in the Delaware River and are not expected to be developed.
Not every lot in the island is in the new zone, either. Ownership of almost all parcels that are in it is listed to American Atlantic Company, with a mailing address in Cranford that also belongs to Weeks Marine maritime construction company.
The island presently is zoned for light industrial activity, recreational functions such as marina and golf, farming, and single family homes.
Both the planning and council votes were unanimous.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 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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