January 22, 2024
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Holly Ravine Farm will be permanently preserved in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The township purchased the 23-acre property for $3.86 million, preventing any future development there.
Cherry Hill's Holly Ravine Farm will be preserved from future development after the township finalized its purchase of the 23-acre property, officials said Monday.
The township approved the property's purchase last September and completed the deal Monday for $3.86 million. Cherry Hill will seek state and county grants to help fund the acquisition. The land had been eyed for a senior housing development that drew pushback from Cherry Hill residents, but that plan was ultimately rejected by the local zoning board last year. The township hopes to maintain the farm as an open space for the community.
"This is a significant milestone in the history of our Township and is important to our environment, our neighborhoods and our future," Cherry Hill Mayor Dave Fleisher said.
The land off Evesham and Springdale roads is a remnant of Cherry Hill's agricultural past. It had been owned by the family of former Mayor John Gilmour Jr. since the 1920s. A portion of the property was once home to the Cowtail Bar ice cream parlor that opened in the '30s and a petting zoo called the Moo Zoo that opened in the '60s. Those businesses closed in the late '80s to make way for the Shoppes at Holly Ravine, a shopping center that opened in 1990.
A Dallas-based developer had sought to construct a 175-unit senior housing complex on the property. Community members opposed to that project objected to plans that would have involved removing trees. The developer had committed to preserving a century-old beech tree on the farm and had downsized the project, but the township's zoning board unanimously rejected the proposal last June.
The Gilmour family, which has tried to sell the property at various points over the years, said they are happy with the outcome to preserve Holly Ravine Farm.
"We are confident that the Township will be a good steward of the land and are happy to be part of creating a greener Cherry Hill," Robert Gilmour said.
Holly Ravine Farm sits along Evesham Road's border with Voorhees Township, where Stafford Woods park and the neighboring Saddlehill winery and vineyard also are preserved.
"Generations of Cherry Hill residents have such fond memories of the farm and now future generations will be able to make their own memories and share in this special open space," said Cherry Hill councilmember Sangeeta Doshi, who serves as a liaison for the township's green initiatives.
Over the years, Cherry Hill has secured preservation for other local landmarks, including the Kingston Swim Club property, the Woodcrest Country Club and Springhouse and Croft farms.
