Its been a while since I’ve had a blog post about the landfill, and much has taken place since then. So print out this blog, grab a favorite beverage and sit in a chair next to the fire place, ‘cause I think this will be a long one! In fact... its INSANELY long! Some interesting news... and probably my "toughest" blog yet.
The BIG news is Bellmawr has been proposed as a location for the new Comcast Spectrum. Insiders say its one of the top two choices! Plus there are designs online!
Another top thought... Why are two of our top politicians(Andrews and Corzine) fighting Delaware River dredgings being dumped on New Jersey soil because of contaminants, but Andrews' home town has taken millions of pounds of dredged New York Port Authority* soil and no one notices?
Development - Plans online
- Comcast Spectrum Bellmawr!
- Bass Pro Shops still in the plans
Cleanup
- NJDEP gives cleanup approval
- New Newsletter
- Drainage project to start
- Dredged Soil.
Issues
- Official Plans?
- Roads: Where we’re going… we NEED roads!
- Other
PLUS: Blogging to increase!
Getting Tough
Let's be clear. I am still a huge fan of redeveloping the landfill. But it needs to be done with the involvement of the community. We have a right to ask questions.
Back in October I called the developer several times. Emailed him. Seeing how nicely the landfill closing was progressing I felt it was a good time to directly ask him questions about the project. I never heard from the developer.
I also called the Mayor, and I missed his return call which was on the day of the Council meeting. So I decided to talk at the meeting. The Mayor and I went at it pretty strongly in the Council meeting over the need right now to have an advertised public discussion on the project.
The Mayor apparently isn't against a public meeting, his core thought was “What do you want me to show you? There is nothing approved. Nothing is official”.
He also stated... that even if there was a meeting for the project, probably no one will show up. Sort of tough for me to defend against that statement when I was one of three people there in the room who was not in the town government.
It was at this point when he said, “Here’s some big news for you, we have submitted a proposal to build the new Comcast Spectrum here in Bellmawr.”
Wow. I didn't see that one coming.
Comcast Spectrum Bellmawr
So the BIG news is that the Developer has formally submitted a proposal to have the Comcast Spectrum rebuilt in the Bellmawr Landfill project. The mayor told me about this back in October at the council meeting, but as you all know, I haven't had a chance to blog.
For those that don’t know, Ed Snider, the President of Comcast-Spectacor announced in July of this year that in 2009 they will be demolishing the world famous Spectrum to make room for an exciting entertainment and hotel complex on the site, to be integrated into the Wachovia center.
There have been no official announcements on where the new center will be located.
But after the mayor announced in October that a Bellmawr proposal was in place… I still thought the idea couldn’t have been too far along.
Then in November, when the holidays unknowingly changed the Council meeting schedule, I found myself in the Council meeting room, with the Mayor showing me a copy of the official current project proposal. Several renderings of the Comcast center were included.
I even asked “Is this ok to write about?” as I hadn't seen any other references in the news.
Well, that was clearly answered 2 days later when the BellmawrWaterfront.com website was updated with the same drawings.
http://www.bellmawrwaterfront.com/
Clearly showing a Comcast Spectrum arena. Clearly showing Bass Pro Shops. Clearly showing a modified Creek Rd. (we’ll come back to that!)
This is not a done deal. Far from it. Apparently, tho… Bellmawr is in the top 2 sites being considered, with the other site being the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. A thought amongst people is that Pennsylvannia Governor will not allow the stadium to leave PA and will work on an incentive package.I have no information on a package for a Bellmawr New Jersey location.
Shown in the drawings, is a Bass Pro Shop and AMC movie theater in the same locations as before, but the newly proposed Comcast Spectrum located on the other end of the property back behind the current Environmental Center. This puts the largest buildings of the project on Bellmawr property, with the center piece (located in Deptford) as a parking lot.
Also shown, is a sports bar for the Comcast Center. For those who’ve read my earlier blogs, there currently aren’t any available liquor licenses in Bellmawr after the old Finish Line license was let expire by its owner. The nearby Bellmawr Lake owns a license which is only minimally used during its operational summer month.Clearly, a stadium project will need to serve alcohol.
Building the Spectrum here is an interesting idea for the property. The road infrastructure that passes through us makes Bellmawr one of the most traveled and easily accessed areas in the extended region, and it would easily find its share of other events.
But, I am not convinced this is the best use of the property.
Seeing the progress taking place at the project, you have to give the developer a lotof credit. This is not pie-in-the sky when you realize the work so far has costed him many millions of dollars. And now that it has progressed, you can see how the property along an untouched river really could be something special.
A big arena, with a huge parking lot full of drunken tailgating partiers requiring more police support... hmm... that doesn't sound too special.
Imagine a Friday at 6pm in the summertime, as people are trying to drive to the shore on Rt 42, and 18,000 people are trying to get to the new Comcast center for a concert. And remember, unlike the current Spectrum location in Philadelphia, there are currently no trains into Bellmawr so means almost everyone is driving in.
A town center?
I really liked the idea of a small village of homes, commercial buildings or even just smaller retail stores. Something unique. The town center that Bellmawr needs. I recently visited Peddler's Village in Pennsylvania and loved the "Disney" feel of it and thought how cool it would be to have something like that in Bellmawr. A walkable town center would connect the walking paths and waterfront to the retail stores. Even the Black Horse Pike planning commission called the landfill "Potentially Bellmawr's Town Center". Now there is a ton of land back in the landfill, and as shown in the picture below the plans do call for an "Outlet" shopping area. But a large arena just doesn't seem to fit as well.
A few years ago I was interviewed by a Courier Post reporter, and the one thing I said I feared was that it would turn into another "Big Box Store center with big parking lots"...Bass Pro Shops – Still in the plans
Clearly presented in the plans is the Bass Pro Shops. The developer had once before politely asked me to take my photos of the Bass Pro Shops down as they did not have a signed agreement, but they keep putting more up... so now they stay here! I’ve read other blogs that make mention of the BPS in Bellmawr where they commented they contacted the company and were told there are no official plans. While Bass Pro Shops is a privately held company, I will remind you that it is a multi-billion dollar Company and they aren’t going to release information until they are ready. They definitely aren’t going to tell a random phone caller about previously unannounced plans to build in the one of the largest metropolitan areas. I would think that when they are ready to announce plans formally, it will be a large media event that we will all be aware of.
And honestly... the only single source for information on the project, is here! :-)
It is interesting how so much discussion and plans can be rumored about out there, and there really is no official talk at all. (I've done my part of spreading info!) In other states where these facilities have been built, Bass Pro Shops was offered incentives to build and this only happened after highly publicized government discussions. We have nothing. Maybe that's an indication that this project is still a few years out?But our Mayor still stands by… “We will have a Bass Pro Shops opening in January 2010”.
Actually, I have several other questions and concerns on the project. Read on to the end.
Not in the plans
Several things are missing or changed in the current plans. There are no residential buildings at all. The hotels seem to be closer in size to the "Fairfield Inn" in Deptford. No larger hotels attached to the Bass Pro Shops. There are no 20+ story towers, and no reference to a Patco Station. The area where the Patco station was originally proposed is left undeveloped in the latest plans, so maybe they are hoping it is still to come.
DEP approves closure: sets stage for development
On Sept 1, 2008, Charles Gallub, the Principal of Develcom announced the receipt of major remediation approvals for the landfill project. Approved where the Remedial Investigation Report, Landfill Closure Plan, and the Remedial Action Work Plan. Details of this announcement are better explained by reading the recent BellmawrWaterfront newsletter.
This is a great milestone for the project, and we can all see the progress they have made at the site.
Bellmawr Waterfront Newsletter
The official Winter 2008 newsletter is available on the developer's website. (Look for Winter 2008 on the http://www.bellmawrwaterfront.com/ site)
Highlights:
Well samples show lead levels meet the NJDEP’s most stringent standards. Results show no significant effect on groundwater aquifer supplies.
Already noticeable on Rt 42, a large culvert and drainage project is in the early stages and will soon pick up speed. The new stormwater culvert will capture water in the area, as well as water from the other side of 42, and carry along the highway around the landfill and into the Big Timber creek. As mentioned previously in this blog, there were two stormdrain pipes installed under the landfill decades ago but it is believed that they were not adequate after years of decay. There will also be an upgradient cutoff wall and underdrain/interceptor trench, so that clean water is moved around the landfill.
A sheet pile wall will be driven into the ground in the area of the Fazzio Deptford landfille (center of the project) as it was found the land fill waste was very close to the river at this point. (actually… the reason this area is considered Deptford and has trash close to the creek is that the timber creek originally had a large curved “loop” in this area… curving very close to Creek Road, and bringing the Deptford property line almost to the edge of Creek Rd. The landfill operators decades ago literally filled in this part of the creek with trash!)
While we are all amazed at the amount of dirt being brought into the project, and the height of the fill…. There is still more to come! Closing the site will mean a layer of low-permeability material which will both seal the landfill, but allow moisture to flow through. This will be crushed concrete mixed with dredge material to make up the base…. The concrete is used similarly to when it is used as a base for many home paver projects.
The newsletter has additional information about the project, and a few teasers of timelines and the initial building of the Public River access portions.
Although, I am slightly confused as I read the end pages that they reference “2008”, when I believe they are referring to 2009. (i.e. “As phase 1 development plans are put forth in the first half of 2008”)
Dredging Article, Landfill Dirt Quality.
Also.. Several have commented about the quality of the dirt in the landfill. Back in July philly.com published an article on the Develcom’s Charles Gallub, and his purchasing of Delaware River waterfront property and how it can impact future dredging projects.
Philly.com Article
I blogged about this article previously, but I bring it up again to make a new point. First a reintroduction to the information.
Develcom provides these comments in the article:"The material is treated to meet residential soil standards, one of highest levels of cleanliness. It is not what most people would consider New York-dredged material," Nogowski said.
The first phase in Bellmawr, along Big Timber Creek, is expected to be completed in 2010. Gallub said it would include 600,000 square feet of retail and commercial space - a large retailer, a multiplex cinema, four hotels, four restaurants, and a regional visitors center. First phase completed in 2010.
Good news! The dirt is treated, and meets all of our Government standards.
And there goes that year again. They must really believe 2010 will be magic.
Dredging Irony:
Down here in South Jersey we've had another different highly publicized dredging issue the last few years, regarding putting the Delaware dredgings on New Jersey soil. Our locally born and raised Congressman Andrews has lead this charge.
The irony of this is the entire time that Delaware River sludge has been debated by Andrews, we were taking millions of pounds of dredged soil from New York's Port Authority Rivers. Directly into his very own hometown.
Article from July 2008
Andrews a longtime opponent to the dredging project was not alone over renewed concerns that NJ would get dumped on. NJ Governor Jon Corzine also made it clear this week that if dredging started, that Pennsylvania would have to honor an agreement reached last year that NJ will not be the resting spot for the slurry which can have contaminants.
I'm not really sure why this isn't bigger news for the media. We've been getting New York Port Authority River dredging (a much more travelled and presumably polluted waterway) all summer long and in July, Andrews and Corzine are saying the Delaware River dredgings are harmful.
Question: If two of our states biggest leaders fear for our safety if we had Delaware River dredgings in our state, why aren't they holding press conferences at the Bellmawr Landfill about its safety?
Don't get me wrong. I have to believe... want to believe.. that the Bellmawr soil is safe. Its the reasoning on the Delaware dredging that probably needs adjusting.
And I am a fan of Congressman Andrews, if at minimum to support the local guy. I voted for him even after I thought his "I'm a congressman, I'm not a Congressman, I'm a Congressman" routine this year.... but would be nice to get some clarity on the dredging issue.
Official Plans
Before I jump into “Roads”, I’d like to clearly point out that as of October 2008, there have been no plans submitted to the Bellmawr Planning board. Whether it was the original 3,000 townhomes, 25-story towers, or the new Comcast Spectrum… nothing has made it in front of the planning board.
Which, as I mentioned, is the Mayor’s reasoning for lack of official town project meetings. (Beyond the environmental meetings)
Roads: Where we’re going we NEED roads.
Right now I see two key concerns for Bellmawr residents. Tax and road impact.
While we are a great intersection point for highways, there are still significant gaps…
And while I appreciate the Mayor’s confidence in saying “Bass Pro Shops will open on January 2010”… I have strong doubts.
Consider:
1) Bass Pro measures their "visitors per store in a year" in the millions
2) A new Spectrum will bring additional huge numbers of visitors (at the same time as events start and end)
3) Major infrastructure takes 100s of millions, and many years to build, and we haven’t even started yet.
Even a Bellmawr Council member told me earlier in the year “If they can’t get the roads, the project won’t happen”
So what are those roads? There are three key transportation upgrades discussed in the landfill area:
1) 295/42/676 reconstruction: Currently estimated as a $500 million project
2) Missing Moves: Connecting road for 42 and 295, south of Bellmawr (originally planned to go through the landfill)
3) Patco Train Station: An extension to the Patco system that would go up Rt 42 into Gloucester County, putting a Transit Village train stop at the edge of the landfill.
295/42/675 – This project has been in the planning stages for several years. They are being very thorough in reviewing alternatives, impacts, and costs. They recently have moved closer to a final plan.
On the core site, the timeline for this project’s construction is 2011-2015. Well beyond a 2010 opening data for Bass Pro Shops. But, even worse than that, the most recent NJDOT budget documents show the construction taking place 2012-2018!
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/studies/rt295/faq.shtm
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/capital/stip0918/sec3/routes/rt42.pdf
Missing Moves – From what I understand, this project was initially a go and would’ve been completed by now if not for the development plans at the landfill. Simply, the developer and NJDOT seem to have eyeballed this property for construction, and once it was clear they needed to work together, the State agreed to delay the construction.
But, looking at the same capital improvement documents publically available on the internet, construction is to start in 2014, and take 3 years! Also way beyond a 2010 Bass Pro Shops opening.
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/capital/stip0918/sec3/routes/rt42.pdf
Patco – A Bellmawr connection to the DRPA’s Patco has been discussed since the 70s, and in the past few years has gained much attention as Patco has fully engaged the public with the idea of an expansion. But, keep in mind:
The are also pushing for a PA expansion
http://www.patcopaexpansion.com/
and they are also facing financial issues, having recently needing to raise bridge tolls under strong public and political scrutiny.
If the DRPA can’t pay the bills for their existing infrastructure, how can the entertain billion dollar expansion plans for New Jersey...
And here is another interesting fact. After the shocking bridge collapse in Minneapolis, the new NJDOT Capital program brings new focus on rebuilding what we already have. Read it here: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/capital/cis/pdf/full.pdf
Another Bellmawr Politician, Joe Roberts was quoted as saying "We can not raise taxes" in response to New Jersey state budget shortfall that is predicted the next two years.
MyCentralJersey.com
Let’s add this up:
So the entire world-wide economy has gone sour. Tax revenue is shrinking as incomes and corporate earnings erode. Political leaders are crying pour mouth, and even trying to get a piece of the Federal Bail-out money (Nutter in Philadelphia). NJ Governor Corzine was toying with the idea of selling our roads, or building “luxury lanes” on the Atlantic City Expressway. New Jersey needs to fund bridges rebuilding…
... And somehow we are going to have the money to fund these projects.
Not to mention, “does Comcast and Bass Pro Shops show up in town without any government backed incentives”?
If the landfill development needs these roads. And Bass Pro Shops is to open in 14 months, then the road construction should have started 3 years ago.
Local Road Impact: Creek Rd Highway.
I notice earlier in the year on the landfill’s website, what appeared to be big changes in road plans around the Wawa & State Police barracks. I blogged about them earlier. Now within the site’s updated plans you can see another new spin on the roadways.
There is no "single" missing moves road within the land fill.
The latest plan is to use Creek Rd for part of it.
If you study the drawings, you’ll see it looks like the traffic will exit 295 north at the environmental center and drop right on to a 4 lane Creek rd. It will be wide all the way to Edgewood Ave.
And Edgewood Ave itself becomes a major thoroughfare. The traffic coming north on 42 will take a long exit that seems to connect into Benigno Blvd and move onto edgewood.
Update (12/01): Looking further at the drawings, the Missing Moves road seems to be split, depending on the side of Rt 42 you are on. There is a road of Missing Moves going through the landfill to handle traffic on the South Bound side of 42. The North Bound side traffic of 42 will move through Edgewood Avenue and Creek Rd. 
Basically what the splitting the Missing Moves road does is saves the cost of building a new bridge, by reusing the Creek Rd bridge for some of the traffic.
In the edited rendering above, Part 1 shows how traffic on Rt 42 North can enter and exit via an upgraded Edgewood Ave road. Simply, those traveling from Atlantic City, or heading back to Philadelphia (or 295 North) will be traveling the Creek Road Bridge and Edgewood ave. Part 2 shows how the Missing Moves road connects to 42 south. Traffic from 295 North can get to rt42 south with this road, and traffic coming from Philadelphia and upstate NJ will exit off of 42 directly into the property.
Whether its coming in or leaving, it seems almost all traffic that isnt from the southern part of 295 will have to make one trip over Creek Rd and Edgewood Ave.
Update ends
Also... Check out the video that is posted on one of the affiliated web sites.
Go to: http://gspacedesign.com/
click on "Master Planning"
then on bottom left menu, click "Bellmawr Waterfront"
The small video will update with a first person perspective of you driving a car on North 42, taking a new exit ramp on Edgewood avenue, turning left on a wider Creek Rd, and entering the development.
In comparison, there are portions of the Black Horse Pike, or Clements Bridge road that are 4 lanes. But the difference here is we will be pumping high volume traffic from 2 major roads directly onto our local street.
What happens when there is a major event at the new Spectrum? How do people living near Creek Road in Crescent Park get across town?
Would the streets in Crescent Park provide access when traffic is jammed near the landfill? Do Union and Warren avenues become parking lots or speedways?
See.. this is where I really disagree with the Mayor and the Developer, Charles Gallub. They do have things to share with us. I want to ask about the project. Ask about the roads.
When there are drawings being presented that show major impact for the residents of Bellmawr, you better get in front of the town and let them know where your head is.
When the Mayor says the first major component will open in 2010, you better get in front of the town and let them know where your head is.
When the Developer is telling the #1 newspaper organization in Philadelphia that the projects phase 1 completion is in 2010, you better get in front of the town and let them know where your head is.
If this project will be taking in its first retail customers in 14 months, the Residents of Bellmawr need to know now how the roads will be configured... plus a few more things.
So, while I am on the subject… here are a random sampling of my questions that I would like answers too.
Develcom and Gallub:
Who are you?
What are your credentials?
What is your current financial status, in light of the current economy?
Government incentives:
What incentives are being discussed?
County or State incentives?
Tax breaks from Bellmawr, County, or State?
Will Bellmawr secure any bonds for the project that Taxpayers hold risk on?
Will the Government have to promise road/infrastructure improvements?
Roads / Transportation:
What road improvements does the project need?
What are the timelines?
What traffic will be diverted into Bellmawr’s local (and previously infrequently traveled) roads?
Provide a timeline the shows buildings opening and how they coincide with road availability. What are the results of the traffic study?
Bellmawr Costs
Will we recieve full tax dollars?
Will we have a surplus of new tax dollars after higher support costs paid for (police, fire)?
What are the impacts on our aquifer quota? Will this development put us over quota and significanftly increase water bills?
What is the status on the Patco speedline extension?
What is the status on the 295/42/676 project?
What is the status on Missing Moves?
While were at it... and truth to a Turnpike exit on Rt 42?
Deptford
Will Deptford retain ownership of the center piece of land ?
If yes, since there is no Deptford access, what agreement will exist for Bellmawr support services?
If businesses/improvements are built on Deptford land, which town will recieve the associated property taxes?
Soil
Can Andrews and Corzine explain thier concerns on dredge material, considering similar material is used in Bellmawr?
The end...
I'm getting tired of typing, so will probably have more to add later. Feel free to add comments and suggestions. If you have a Google or Gmail account, you should be able to log in with it and add comments (I use Google's Blogger.com for my blog)
More Posts Again!?
If you've been reading my various blogs the last two years, you know my posting runs in cycles. I started off real strong in 2008 and started dropping off as the year progressed. The reason is that I had another hobby that was close to turning into a full time job... and it left little time to write this blog. Well, I just freed myself of that other hobby and I hope to kick the blogging into high gear again.
And that other hobby? Well, I'll save that for my next blog. Untill then, Rock On!
*Note: It was pointed out to me that my identifying a specific named river as the source of our dredging material was incorrect as the referenced article only indicates New York Port Authority Port Dredgings. I have removed the river name in this blog. I do not think this changes anything at all about the message of the blog .
