More Protest Greets Cinnaminson Home Project

The for the township’s request to lift the Cinnaminson Home off the state’s inventory of open space brought dozens of residents out Tuesday evening.

The meeting’s focus was identifying those properties that would replace the Cinnaminson Home’s acreage if it were to be lifted off the ROSI, or Recreation and Open Space Inventory.

In order for Lutheran Social Ministries to , the area needs to be lifted off the ROSI through Green Acres and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

That undertaking—called a diversion request—is under way now.

For the 2.7 acres of land the Cinnaminson Home sits on to be considered for the lift, there needs to be about 10 acres elsewhere in the township preserved as open space.

Fred Turek, township engineer, and George Morris, of township solicitor Parker McCay, identified those areas Tuesday night. They are 2.3 acres known as the and 3.1 acres on Sequoia Drive. Recently added to the mix was acreage near Branch Pike and Church Road, close to Hope Lane.

“The township has begun to confirm this land is acceptable to include as replacement land,” said Turek.

Joe Kenney, a Wedgewood Drive resident who has long spoken out against this project, said the Church Road property was thrown on at the last minute, not giving residents enough time to evaluate it as a suitable replacement before Tuesday’s meeting.

“I have no idea where that property is,” Kenney said. “I object the fact that, at the last minute, this was thrown on as the third property and none of us knew about it.”

Morris said Green Acres evaluated the site last week.

Other residents once again took this meeting as a way to voice their opinions about the project in general; all who spoke were against it.

“I’m opposed to the development and construction of this project,” said Frank Paschen, a Georgian Drive resident.

Although Georgian isn’t in the vicinity of the proposed project, Paschen said he worked with affordable housing in Philadelphia for several years and has seen firsthand homes losing value because of such projects.

Suzanna Blau, of Thomas Avenue, said she’s “very upset if this is going to go through.”

“I will have to leave town,” she said. “My fear is that it will become a ghetto.”

Lutheran Social Ministries, a nonprofit affordable housing provider in New Jersey, wants to transform the old Cinnaminson Home into 54 units of affordable senior apartments. to allow senior housing on that area. However site plans have not been introduced.

The entire project is contingent upon the state granting the township the diversion request at March’s statehouse commission hearing.

Kathleen Brothers, of Branch Pike, called this a “voting issue” and proclaimed she’ll go door to door letting the community know about this project.

“I think you have awakened a sleeping giant,” she said.

Cindy Pierson, president of the Pompeston Creek Watershed Association, was speaking with several residents after the meeting, letting them how what they can do to persuade the state not to allow the diversion request to go through.

All of the comments tonight, as well as comments from the ROSI scoping hearing in October, will be sent to the state as part of the township’s diversion request. Written comment can be submitted until Jan. 31 to the township clerk in Cinnaminson for inclusion in the request.

Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti, also the director of economic development, said there was an appointed commission of volunteer residents who looked at various uses of the building.

“Their recommendation was to return it to its use of affordable housing for seniors,” he said. “They felt it was the best use for the neighborhood.”

Other uses—such as a community center, open space and even a new location for the —were discussed, Minniti said.

However, Joe Piech, a resident of Winding Lane, questioned this commission, saying no neighbors he knew were on it.

“Maybe they had some creative ideas,” Piech said.

Piech added he doesn’t want to see this transformed into senior affordable housing because of the size of the building.

“It’s the scope of the project,” he said. “It doesn’t conform to the neighborhood. It’s still three stories high, it still peaks above the trees.”

Update 4 p.m. Wednesday:

The ad hoc committee, organized by then-Mayor Santra Iaquinto in 2009, featured the following members:

John Dunigan—a resident attorney
Rick Cureton—a resident with development experience
Sam Jones—resident
Bob Stout—local business owner
Jack Parry—resident with architectural/historical structure experience
John Marshall—zoning officer
Jim McGuckin—school board member