Proposed Gloucester Twp. Army center worries some

Gloucester Township officials, in a closed meeting Thursday, presented alternative sites for a controversial proposed Army Reserve training center, but residents fear their concerns will be ignored.

The $21 million proposal has drawn the community ire because of its proximity to a playground and neighborhood. Because it is a federal project, it also is unlikely to produce tax revenue for the township, which recently posted a $5.5 million budget deficit.

Mayor Cindy Rau Hatton said yesterday that two sites, one on government-owned property and another adjacent to Gloucester Township Technical High School, would be ideal for the facility and would not sacrifice prime commercially zoned land.

Both sites were suggested to representatives from the Army and the project architect at Thursday's meeting, Hatton said.

Part of the problem is that the project planners did not know the area, she said. "They didn't look at zoning, at neighborhoods. The township was never in the loop."

Hatton said construction at the proposed site was scheduled to begin in October, with completion set for March 2011. About 360 personnel would be assigned to the new center.

Army representatives agreed to extend the public-comment period on the project for 30 days, until Aug. 30, and to make fact sheets available in local libraries, Hatton said. A public meeting will be held this month.

Tina Bridda, who lives near the proposed site, near Cross Keys and Kearsley Roads, is dropping off notifications at schools and businesses. Some township residents are concerned because the Army is under no obligation to change its plans.

"I think they're going to do what they want to do," said Lisa Cowne, who also lives nearby. "I'm not real optimistic, but I'm hopeful."

Calls to the Army Corps of Engineers were not immediately returned.