Planning board said no to warehouse plan, but developer thinks court will disagree

LOGAN TWP. — Multiple design changes for a proposed warehouse off Interstate 295 and Center Square Road failed last year to win over township planners, so its developer and landowner now plan to argue its merits in a state court.

Lovett Industrial LLC, a Texas-based industrial developer, set sites on the property more than two years ago. Its warehouse was set at 313,567 square feet to start but came down to 275,800 square feet, an effort to satisfy concerns about adding to area traffic.

The warehouse and its office, about 10,140 square feet, would be built on about 36.4 acres of the former Mollet Farm, between Center Square and Hill roads.

The area is well developed commercially, including restaurants, and the roads already see frequent tractor-trailer traffic.

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The Planning Board finally accepted the site plan as ready for review at its December meeting. But after testimony, members unanimously voted to reject it. Members agreed adding truck traffic, even with road improvements, would cause an increase in unsafe driving conditions.

Lovett and the property owner, Philadelphia Mollet Farm L.P. of Texas, filed suit on March 4 in Gloucester County Superior Court against the Planning Board and Township Council. Their lawsuit asks the court to declare the board decision invalid and to order Logan to approve the project.

Despite Lovett maintaining it had met local zoning requirements, the board voted unanimously to reject it.

Logan had changed zoning rules for the area after Lovett filed its application in February 2022. Lovett accuses the township of trying to maneuver it into filing a new application, one that would be judged under the new and less development friendly zoning rules.

Officially, the township is not served with the lawsuit, yet. Unofficially, Logan is aware of the lawsuit. The court already has set a management conference for April 4, ordering both sides to ready arguments and possible exhibits.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Texas developer in court after Logan cancels warehouse project