Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 09:27:18 AM EST
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| In the thin sliver of a county that is Camden County, with over 500,000 residents bunched into 222 square miles, remaining open space is few and far between. Unmitigated growth of this Philadelphia suburban county, with very little foresight, has resulted in one of the most developed counties in the state. The problems and financial constraints involved in open space preservation, though, coupled with the high cost of land in places like Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights, and Haddonfield, make preserving open space a difficult endeavor. My sense is that any progressive agenda must include environmental preservation and long-term sustainability as part of its platform, and this includes work to preserve open space on a local level. |
| Martin :: Preserving Remaining Open Space in Camden County |
| The western part of Camden County presents the most problems for open space preservation, as this part of the county is pretty much developed at this point, with some notable exceptions. One of the greatest success stories for open space preservation in western Camden County has been the 140-acre treasure that is Stafford Farm in the middle of suburban Voorhees. But the cost for Stafford Farm, paid for by private and public entities, was $20.4 million, illustrating how difficult obtaining funds for open space can be in Camden County and elsewhere. Cherry Hill also has Springdale Farms, the last remaining farm in what was nothing but farmland in the early part of the 20th-century; but even here, we run into issues with passive vs. active open space, zoning laws and other such issues that make the farm's long-term future questionable. In Haddonfield, a recent citizen-centered action to acquire property for open space, an initiative that is on hold, resulted in a property appraisal of $21 million for a $19 million acre plot. Land is too expensive in the western part of Camden County for massive open space endeavors.
The eastern part of Camden County, namely Waterford and Winslow townships, are still relatively rural and undeveloped, surprisingly enough. Appropriately, this area has been the focus for much of the Camden County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Plan , a fund (essentially a tax) created in 1998 for open space purchase and preservation. Massive 100-acre open space plots have been purchased in Waterford and Winslow townships, and more money should be used to purchase land east of Berlin in the future.
Open space preservation can and should continue in Camden County, but the impediments, including the specter of development, are daunting. The Camden County freeholders should absolutely be commended for their vision in purchasing farmland and open space property for posterity, and their master plan that calls for a "proposed greenway system" that connects eastern and western Camden County should be put into action. Land that surrounds the Delaware River and the Cooper River and their tributaries should be protected and can be part of this master plan to connect undeveloped parts of the county together. Finally, regional plans for open space preservation, ones that include partnerships with the highly-successful open space program in Burlington County as well as Gloucester and Atlantic Counties, should be part of the process and can promote smart-growth development at the same time. |
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