Willingboro lakes may become Burlco park

WILLINGBORO - Decades ago, the Olympia Lakes recreation area was a popular swimming hole for families and teens who would come from surrounding towns and Philadelphia to cool off in the spring-fed waters.

The two lakes, near Willingboro's border with Delran, later attracted fishing and birding enthusiasts. When a developer announced plans in 1997 to construct hundreds of homes on the 106-acre tract, township officials mobilized to preserve it.

Now, Burlington County officials are discussing a $2.5 million plan to turn the still-idle area into a county park. They acquired the land two years ago when the township reported it had insufficient funds to maintain it.

Under an ambitious proposal unveiled this month, the new "Willingboro Lakes Park" would have nearly two miles of hiking trails, a bird sanctuary, fishing spots, a picnicking area, restrooms, pavilions, and boat launches.

"This park has tremendous potential to provide lake access and Rancocas Creek access," said Scott Taylor, founder of Taylor Design Group, a Mount Laurel architectural firm hired to work on the project. The creek is adjacent to the southern portion of the land.

Taylor said eagles use that part of the creek as a hunting area, so he will have to work closely with the state Department of Environmental Protection to get permits to improve the park. Once the approvals are in place, he said, the project could go out to bid next year.

Two parking lots would be built, each with 50 spaces, one off Route 130 North and the other off Beverly-Rancocas Road.

Willingboro Councilman Eddie Campbell Jr., who was instrumental in the acquisition and transfer of the property, said he looks forward to opening the park to the public. Residents don't bother to use the park because it's overgrown "with brambles and briars" and full of "snakes and other vermin," he said.

Campbell recalled fishing in the former quarry with his three children, before the park trails became cluttered. "We used to catch bream, a small fish that grows to be one to two pounds," he said. He also remembers going to the lakes to swim. "It was like a vacation resort," he said of the privately owned recreation spot.

Campbell said he regretted having to turn the land over to the county but would be "happy if the county develops it the way they said they would and make it accessible to the people of Willingboro."

Willingboro had taken title to the site using $1 million in state open-space grants and $1 million in county funds. But he said there just wasn't enough money in the budget to properly care for the property.

Taylor said the overgrown trails would be replaced by boardwalks in some areas and by a more natural surface cover in the environmentally sensitive sections. A meadow will remain mostly untouched as a sanctuary for birds, he said, and there will be observation areas for bird-watchers. The county's website says bald eagles, American coots, mute swans, and ruddy ducks have all been spotted at the site.

A small amphitheater is also envisioned so that a county naturalist can give presentations on the species in the area, he said.

Boat launches would accommodate kayaks, rowboats, and small electric boats, he said, but gas-powered motorboats would not be allowed.

"Fishing has been a rich part of the use of this site, and that will be embraced as part of the county's program," Taylor said, explaining that the county may in the future stock the lakes with fish.