Voorhees zoning board to review 117-unit senior apartment plan

A traffic report estimates that a planned 117-unit senior apartment complex will generate 188 vehicle trips on weekdays. The three-story building is proposed for vacant land on Voorhees Drive, located directly in front of the SpringHill Suites Hotel.

The project is scheduled to appear before the Voorhees zoning board in December for preliminary and final major site plan approval. Developer FP Voorhees LLC, a Jackson, N.J. entity, previously received a use variance from the board in 2024. Jeffrey Fernbach of Jackson is listed as the sole owner holding a 10 percent or larger interest in the developer. The property itself is owned by Voorhees Hotel Associates of Horsham, Pa.

The site is positioned about 500 feet away from the AMC Voorhees theater parking lot, across Voorhees Drive. In June, the planning board approved a separate 60-unit, 100 percent affordable apartment complex at that theater location. The senior living project will sit between these two residential developments.

Zoning board engineer Bennett A. Matlack of Artheon reviewed the application and estimated that 24 of the 117 units would need to be designated as affordable housing. The application does not currently list a specific commitment for affordable units, but Matlack’s review suggests the requirement will be part of the final approval process.

Voorhees has seen a recent increase in residential development proposals. This month, the planning board approved a plan to convert the vacant Four Echelon Plaza office building near the former Echelon Mall into 178 market-rate apartments. The new senior complex adds to the growing number of housing projects under consideration or approved in the borough.