Preliminary Site Plans Approved for Lutheran's Cinnaminson Home Project

Lutheran Social Ministries is one step closer to its project to turn the former Cinnaminson Home into affordable senior housing after zoning board members approved preliminary site plans Wednesday night.

And, some of the residents’ concerns were alleviated when professionals testifying for Lutheran said stormwater and drainage issues in that area should even improve—not worsen as some residents thought—once the project is finished.

“There are a lot of concerns about water,” said Keith McWhirk, the attorney representing Lutheran. “I’d like to think we made a good-faith effort to address [residents’] concerns.”

Engineers with the project nixed the open-air basin idea for water, and instead, will install an underground detention system.

The sewer system will tie into the main line on Riverton Road, not the residential line that comes from the back of the property.

From south to north of the proposed building, Bob Stout, site engineer, said water issues could be reduced up to 50 percent.

Engineers also added in rows of staggered evergreen trees around the perimeter of the spot and a fence along the back property line, matching a nearby Riverton Road resident’s fence.

Lighting will be shoebox-style, Stout said, that would illuminate the parking lot at night and lower overnight.

“Our lighting pan does not allow for any spillage,” he said.

Lutheran was also granted a variance for a 25 square foot sign. Some zoning board members weren’t entirely happy with the sign presented, so McWhirk said designers would go back to the table.

The preliminary and final site plans were deemed complete and zoning board members approved preliminary site plans. The meeting will be continued to vote on final site plan approval at the zoning board’s May 2 .

As far as a construction timeline goes if all plans are approved, McWhirk said there’s still financing that needs to be put in place.

“But once it’s started,“ he said, “construction would take about a year.”

To read Patch's coverage of this project, click here to see all the stories. There, you can subscribe to the topic page we've created for further updates on this story.