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  • Mount Laurel may turn nine hotels into affordable housing. One owner says the plan ‘doesn’t make sense.’

    Mount Laurel may turn nine hotels into affordable housing. One owner says the plan ‘doesn’t make sense.’

    Sitting on the neatly made bed, Vijay Shroff looked around the hotel room as no lodger would.

    Shroff pointed out the wall air-conditioning unit, noting it was replaced along with those in the hotel’s 107 other rooms this summer. He gestured toward the bathroom, recalling his investment in a bathtub that will last decades next to his installation of a relatively expensive pressure-assisted toilet.

    To Shroff, the Red Roof Inn he and his family own off Route 73 in Mount Laurel “is my long-term investment,” something he could hand down to his two college-age daughters.

    But, to Mount Laurel Township, the small hotel, along with eight others in town, are properties that township government may condemn and demolish to make way for apartments. The apartments could add a total of 826 units to the town’s commitment to have developers build affordable housing under a court-ordered doctrine that had its beginning in Mount Laurel.

    Affordable housing obligations in New Jersey have had a long history since 1975, when the New Jersey Supreme Court required municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Burlington NAACP against Mount Laurel Township. This year, the fourth round of planned affordable housing was completed.

    The lawsuit’s outcome, which has come to be known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine, has resulted in construction of more than 75,000 affordable housing units over the years, according to the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center, which works in the courts to track each municipality’s proposals.

    Shroff, originally from India and a resident of Mount Laurel for 25 years, owns three targeted hotels: the Red Roof, the Track & Turf Motel on Route 73, and the Hyatt House on Crawford Place.

    He learned of the township’s plan to possibly buy his hotel, which could be done through the power of eminent domain, from a news article someone had passed along, he said.

    The Red Roof Inn in Mount Laurel on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Mouth Laurel gets ‘creative’

    Plans designating the Red Roof Inn and the nearby Rodeway Inn on Route 73 as condemnation areas in need of redevelopment were adopted by the township council on Tuesday evening. The council acted on planning board recommendations.

    The redevelopment plans “are the first in a series of redevelopment studies that the Township will be performing over the next few years to determine if the lands are appropriate for redevelopment projects that can accommodate affordable housing developments,” Mount Laurel Township Solicitor George M. Morris of the Parker McCay law firm said in an email.

    Besides Shroff’s three properties and the Rodeway Inn, the other hotels targeted in the affordable housing plan are the Econo Lodge on Fellowship Road, Clarion Hotel & Suites-Wyndham on Route 73, the Grand Resort Hotel-Hotel ML on Route 73, La Quinta Inn & Suites on Clover Road, and Knights Inn on Route 73. 

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    Like other highly developed municipalities, Mount Laurel has scrambled to find properties suitable for developing multifamily residences that include affordable housing.

    Neighboring Evesham Township, for example, worked with a developer to acquire the struggling, one-story Marlton Crossing Garden Offices. The offices recently were demolished, and the planning board has approved construction of 325 apartments, with 49 of them designated as affordable housing.

    Jag Davies, communications director for the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center, which reviews all municipalities’ proposals for affordable housing, said his organization could not comment on Mount Laurel’s hotel redevelopment plan.

    “Mount Laurel, like many towns, needed to be creative to find solutions to the court mandated affordable housing obligations,” Morris, the township’s lawyer, said. “Redevelopment and effective reuse of distressed properties simply make more sense.”

    Condition of the hotel is a factor

    The redevelopment plans for both the Red Roof Inn and the Rodeway Inn list code violations and police and fire activity at the low-priced hotels.

    Photographs of what the township alleges are maintenance problems are part of the 678-page redevelopment study of the Red Roof Inn.

    Between January 2021 and this April, the Mount Laurel Police Department recorded 258 arrests and 440 service cases, according to the Red Roof redevelopment study by Harbor Consultants of Cranford, N.J. The most-frequent incidents were assault, theft/larceny, and narcotics-related cases, the study stated.

    In June 2025, the Mount Laurel Fire Department told fire personnel, fire inspectors, and code enforcement staff that they must have a police officer on the scene with them before entering the Red Roof Inn, according to the redevelopment study of the hotel.

    Morris said the condition of the properties “is a factor in determining if the lands actually qualify for a redevelopment designation.”

    Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik in an email referred to the high level of police calls over time to some of the hotels.

    “This redevelopment creates an opportunity to introduce new, fresh and clean permanent housing along one of the Township’s more troubled areas,” he wrote. “Municipalities are mandated by the state to implement an affordable housing plan. As a Township, our effort is to develop and implement a plan that makes the most sense for our community at large while adhering to the spirit of the law itself and we believe this plan does that.”

    Red Roof owner Shroff said that a Mazda cannot be compared with a Bentley and that it is the same in the hotel business.

    His property, which he says over the years has averaged a 75% occupancy rate, is low-cost, said Shroff, who added that the hotel cannot be responsible for the behavior of its customers.

    Like any business owner, Shroff said, he would consider offers from the township that reflect the value of his property. He maintained the value is in the land under the Red Roof Inn and the prospect of using it for commercial development on busy Route 73 may make it prohibitively expensive for residential use.

    “I don’t know how much they want to offer, and even [if] they offer I don’t think this location is ideal for housing,” Shroff said of his hotel, where the parking lot adjoins the parking lot of a Walmart.

    Shroff said he does not understand why the township is considering highly commercialized Route 73 for affordable housing.

    This is not an area where you want to put affordable housing, he said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  • A nor’easter is poised to rip sand from Shore beaches and flood roads

    A nor’easter is poised to rip sand from Shore beaches and flood roads

    While computer models still remain at sea on the fate of a nor’easter taking shape off the Southeast coast, it is all but certain that floodwaters will be covering some roads at the Jersey Shore the next few days while the beaches lose some sand.

    Already, the Army Corps of Engineers beach-fill contractor working in Avalon has decided to halt operations and move the equipment out of harm’s way, said Army Corps spokesperson Stephen Rochette.

    The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for the oceanfronts and back-bay areas in effect from late Wednesday afternoon until early Saturday, with moderate flooding expected in four of the next five high-tide cycles, warning that “many roads” may become impassable. The agency said it’s possible that some of the flooding could reach the “major” category.

    Inland impacts remained a source of considerable less certainty, but the National Weather Service posted a flood advisory for the tidal Delaware River from northern Delaware to central Bucks County from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Friday.

    And after that?

    “Once you get to Friday and beyond, the forecasts becomes uncertain,” said Zachary Cooper, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Mount Holly office.

    As expected, a coastal storm was taking shape off the Carolina coasts and was forecast to mature through the workweek, generating winds from the northeast — that’s why they are called nor’easters — adding to an already brisk onshore flow.

    In addition, with a full moon due Saturday, the tides are going to get an additional astronomical tug.

    “There could be some shenanigans with that,” said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    The timing of the storm’s impacts at the Shore and in the Philly area

    The winds were forecast to increase Wednesday, with gusts to 45 mph at the coast and 35 mph in the Philly area.

    Moderate flooding was expected with the early-evening high tides on the oceanfront and back Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, and on Friday morning.

    Minor flooding was expected Tuesday evening on the oceanfront and back bays at the Shore, with more-significant moderate flooding at high tides Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

    Along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, high-tide flooding was likely to be minor but could approach moderate levels late Wednesday and Thursday nights.

    No significant rains were in the forecast at least through Thursday, but the outcome for the weekend would depend on the intensity and path of the coastal storm, with rain more likely at the Shore than inland.

    What’s with all the forecast uncertainty?

    The food fight among computer models has persisted, with the European favoring a more westward track, and the U.S. model more out to sea.

    A more westward track, which would make substantial rains, and more wind, more likely, Cooper said. For now, the weather service was going with a 20% to 50% chance of rain across the region Friday into Sunday.

    The forecasts are far more certain on the winds.

    The onshore winds Tuesday were the result of high pressure, or heavier air, over southeastern Canada. Winds circulate clockwise around centers of highs, and thus the winds from the northeast, which also explain the October-like chill, with temperatures getting no higher than the 60s this week.

    An intense coastal storm would add mojo to those winds and could make for quite a raw weekend.

    One thing that is a near certainty is that the forecasts will undergo significant changes in the next day or two.

    Yes, this is early for a nor’easter

    This is unusually early to be concerned about a nor’easter. They usually wait until later in the fall, when the temperature contrasts that ignite storms become sharper as warm air lingers and interacts with the ambitious colder air from the north.

    However, a precocious nor’easter would not be as unusual as what is happening with the hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin.

    That would be: nothing.

    The ultra-quiet Atlantic hurricane season is setting records, thanks to El Niño

    The season already has set a record for the longest wait for a first hurricane, and nothing is cooking. It is also setting records for the least amount of tropical-cyclone energy, said Philip Klotzbach, hurricane expert with the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology project.

    But while it will not become a hurricane, Benz said the coastal storm bears watching because it could draw up moisture from the waters around the Bahamas and take on some tropical characteristics.

    That would increase the rainmaking and wind potential, he said.

    Stay tuned.

  • Retirees hunt for the top cheesesteak | Inquirer South Jersey

    Retirees hunt for the top cheesesteak | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    A group of seniors meet monthly to try new cheesesteaks in a quest to find the best one on this side of the bridge.

    And some Burlington City residents and local businesses are pushing for more police presence downtown.

    Plus, a Vineland data center was hit with a $1 million fine, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    P.S. You have questions, and we likely have answers (or at least can track them down). Inquire about the region at Curious South Jersey.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Hunting for the best cheesesteak

    Every month, a group of seniors who met playing poker at a 55+ community in Moorestown go out and try a new cheesesteak. Their goal: Find the very best.

    None are trained food critics, but they are sandwich enthusiasts. The rules:

    • It has to be in South Jersey.
    • There’s no formal rating system, but they do consider the hardness of the bread, the heat of the hot peppers, the cheesiness, and the amount of meat for the price.
    • Sandwiches are “good” or not.

    To be considered their ultimate cheesesteak, it has to have meat, onions, cheese, a roll, and seasoning. If available, fried onions are a must. Hot peppers are always on the side.

    So far, they have visited Donkey’s Place in Camden, Chick’s Deli in Cherry Hill, and Bricco Coal Fired Pizza.

    The Inquirer’s Sarah Nicell follows along on their latest trip to try out Marlton’s Johnny Longhots.

    The desire for more police patrols

    Burlington City’s historic corridor features taprooms, art studios, antique stores, and more.

    But among the lively commercial spaces, there are boarded and empty storefronts, too. Some residents argue the strip is not welcoming to visitors.

    One proposed solution? More dedicated police to patrol downtown would make visitors and locals feel more comfortable, according to the community group behind a petition calling for the foot patrols.

    Reporter Lacey Latch visited downtown to get local business owners’ input.

    What to know today

    • New Jersey joined seven other states to sue President Donald Trump’s administration over its attempts to cancel offshore wind leases and instead pay companies $1.4 billion for fossil fuel projects.
    • The Edgewater Park Township Police and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that the driver of a car involved in the crash that claimed the life of a pedestrian from Willingboro Sunday morning on Route 130 has been charged. The investigation is still ongoing, according to officials.
    • The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office announced that a Westville man was sentenced to 12 years in state prison for aggravated manslaughter in the 2016 death of Miguel Martinez III in Deptford. Martinez was considered missing before a witness came forward years later and his remains were found.
    • The state fined the developers of a Vineland data center more than $1 million for violating clean-air laws by running dozens of gas generators without the required permits.
    • A nor’easter developing off the Southeast coast is expected to cause flooding down the Shore.
    • Ocean City sent the owner of the Wonderland Pier a “notice of unsafe structure” because the pier is showing signs of collapse, such as the decking caving in.
    • Marlton’s Peppino’s Pizza Italian Kitchen opened its second location in Runnemede this week, 42 Freeway reports.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Joel E. Turner’s crime novel, Wildwood Exit, is set in both Cape May and Wildwood. But in what decade?

    A) 1930s

    B) 1950s

    C) 1980s

    D) 2010s

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🎶 Tracking: The can’t-miss pop music concerts this fall.

    📚 Rereading: Crying In H Mart ahead of Michelle Zauner’s upcoming second memoir, Thank You For Your Suffering.

    👟 Remembering: That time Kelly Oubre hosted a sneaker shopping spree for Camden County youth with the Sixers.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: Romance in Collingswood 📖

    ASK & TILES

    Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Gerry Dinon, who solved last Wednesday’s anagram: Adventure Aquarium. Provenance Chef Nicholas Bazik shared with The Inquirer that he loves visiting with his son, who has has an encyclopedic knowledge of fish and sharks.

    🏡 On the market

    A carriage-style Tudor in Wenonah

    Built in 1897, this private home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and features a grand foyer, kitchen, living room, dining room, and study. Exterior perks include a spacious front porch and a backyard deck — plus, a detached structure with stables.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $724,900 | Size: 2,693 SF | Acreage: 0.65

    And that’s all the news I have for you today. I’ll be back with more tomorrow.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • A group of seniors is hunting for the best South Jersey cheesesteak. Have they found it?

    A group of seniors is hunting for the best South Jersey cheesesteak. Have they found it?

    On Friday, Ralph DiSibio and his friends arrived early, as they usually do, at a cheesesteak joint in Marlton between an Advance Auto Parts and a dry cleaner.

    The men wore matching T-shirts picturing a loaded cheesesteak set aflame, except for Gary Mazzucco, who hasn’t retired yet and doesn’t have the time, nor the medical clearance, to eat a pound of meat and cheese over and over again.

    “Ralph, I gotta order a salad. I can’t eat a cheesesteak,” Mazzucco, 78, said.

    “That’s why he doesn’t have a T-shirt,” one of his friends chimed in.

    Mazzucco ordered a salad. Then, he changed his order after he spotted wings on the menu, which opened the conversation to teasing. What kind of salad was that?

    “It’s got celery,” Mazzucco said.

    When he offered to share, most of the group passed.

    Johnny Longhots, a pizza and sandwich joint “where Philadelphia meets New York,” is the fourth stop on the retirees’ monthslong quest to find South Jersey’s best cheesesteak, preceded by trips to Donkey’s Place in Camden, Bricco Coal Fired Pizza, and Chick’s Deli in Cherry Hill.

    Ralph DiSibio (far left), 85, of Moorestown, watches as friends Mike Mouber (left), 79; Paul Ferretti, 79; and John DeSilvio, 74, enter Johnny Longhots in Marlton on Sept. 18.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    The crew refuses to cross the bridge for cheesesteaks. They want to avoid tolls, and with thousands of options in Philly, they’re not sure they’ll live long enough to eat them all. Sitting in a bright red booth, the seniors were close enough to the city, their backs to a wall of Philly motifs. A picture of the LOVE statue hung above Mike Mouber’s head.

    DiSibio, 85, used to work in the nuclear waste industry, and Mazzucco is an accountant. Mouber, 79, was a lawyer; Paul Ferretti, 79, an investment banker, and John DeSilvio, 78, a contractor. Bob McDermott, 83, worked for the U.S. Postal Service. None of them have long careers as food critics or restaurateurs, but they’ve eaten many a sandwich.

    The group hasn’t found its prized meal yet — Chick’s was the favorite so far — but they say they’re uniquely qualified to discover it.

    “If you count Gary, there’s over 400 years of experience,” DiSibio said, settled at the head of the table.

    Mike Mouber (center), 79, points to the Johnny Longhots menu as Bob McDermott, 83, enjoys his cheesesteak. Although the beloved sandwich was invented in Philadelphia, the group has no interest in trying out Philly cheesesteaks across the bridge.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    The seniors met years ago at a 55+ community in Moorestown, the Mews at Laurel Creek, where most of them still live. They’ve kept their friendship going at the poker table, where they compete every Thursday.

    To mix things up, the group recently visited Donkey’s Place to try what many South Jerseyans have called the best cheesesteak around. But the men weren’t fans, including those who have long frequented Camden’s food scene. They were put off by the kaiser roll.

    “We weren’t thrilled one way or another,” said DiSibio, a Camden native.

    So they decided to keep searching. They’re working on a spreadsheet, though there’s no formal rating system or numerical values attributed to each cheesesteak. They establish their thoughts on the firmness of the bread, the spice of the hot peppers, the meltability of the cheese, and how much meat they get for their money through overlapping conversations that usually drift into sports, politics, religion, and movie debates. Sandwiches are generally considered “good” or, well, not.

    Paul Ferretti (right), 79, greets Ralph DiSibio, 85, alongside Mike Mouber (center), 79, inside Johnny Longhots on Sept. 18.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    Their ultimate cheesesteak, at least according to a printed list in large text, must include: meat, onions, cheese, a roll, and seasoning. The “ambiance of the establishment” only matters if it’s particularly remarkable. They always get fried onions if they can, and hot peppers on the side.

    Jimmy Lees, an employee at Johnny Longhots, made sure most of their cheesesteaks came out quickly, after a lengthy back-and-forth between the men on whether to get provolone or Cooper Sharp. (The majority went with Cooper Sharp.)

    Lees, a Philly native, said it was a new thing to witness a group of seniors hunting for the region’s best cheesesteak, but it’s not so strange.

    “It’s something to do,” Lees said.

    The group of friends enjoyed their Johnny Longhots cheesesteaks. The group found the bread roll to not be as good as they hoped but appreciated the amount of steak that was provided.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    As they ate, there wasn’t much commentary about the cheesesteaks. They debated what year The Godfather novel came out, and DeSilvio’s forthcoming trip to Croatia. They compared their quest to Indiana Jones in 1981.

    “This is like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark,” McDermott said. “We’re looking for the holy grail of cheesesteak.”

    Mike Mouber points to Gary Mazzucco (not pictured) when asked who’s the best poker player in the group while the rest of the friends (from left to right) Bob McDermott, Ralph DiSibio, Paul Ferretti, and John DeSilvio enjoy their meals.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    It didn’t take long for the group to finish their sandwiches, about a half hour or so. DeSilvio wrapped up half of his sandwich for his wife. McDermott said he enjoyed his. Others said the sandwich was good, but maybe the bread could’ve been crustier. It was the smallest of the cheesesteaks they’d eaten so far. They debated their choices again, both praising and regretting the Cooper Sharp.

    “I don’t have any of these opinions,” Mouber said.

    They joked about their cholesterol meds, and that it’s a good thing cardiologists live in their Moorestown development. They said they won’t know the true rating of their cheesesteaks until later in the day, when their digestive systems get to work.

    The group discusses what cheeses should be allowed in cheesesteaks. While DiSibio passionately believes only provolone cheese should be in the sandwich, Mouber (far left) doesn’t have a preference.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    The group plans to visit at least one cheesesteak joint a month for as long as they feel up to it. Their current list includes Irishtown Steaks, Pudge’s Pub, and Champs Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, among others. DiSibio said he hopes to get through at least 10 spots before they call it quits.

    When asked for final thoughts on their sandwiches at Johnny Longhots, Mouber spoke for his friends.

    “We all hope it’s not our last,” he said.

  • Flock cameras get axed | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Flock cameras get axed | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hey there, Cherry Hill, and happy fall. 🍂

    The township will let its contract with controversial surveillance tech company Flock expire at the end of the year.

    Also in this week’s headlines, a quirky deal has been made between Cherry Hill and a local swim club, former Eagles cornerback and township resident James Bradberry is in his coaching era at Camden Catholic, and the Cherry Hill Mall is holding strong as others in the region struggle.

    — Laura Smythe (cherryhill@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Cherry Hill will ditch its Flock cameras at year’s end

    Cherry Hill will not renew its contract with controversial surveillance tech company Flock when it expires on Dec. 31, Mayor Dave Fleisher announced at a township council meeting last week.

    At that time, the township’s 10 cameras will “become inactive immediately” and be removed, marking the end of the two-year pilot program with Flock. The decision comes as public pushback against Flock’s camera network and the use of automated license plate readers grows in Cherry Hill and nationally.

    Now, the Cherry Hill Police Department is evaluating options for replacing the Flock cameras. The Inquirer’s Lacey Latch has the latest.

    💡 Community news

    • A deal between Cherry Hill and the Downs Farm Swim Club that enables the township to take over stewardship of a closed pedestrian bridge contains a twist. 70and73 has the details.
    • In case you missed it: Simone Goldsboro, a 37-year-old certified nurse’s aide, pleaded guilty to intentionally spraying a paralyzed Cherry Hill nursing home patient in the face and eyes with bleach.
    • Former NFL cornerback James Bradberry was released by the Eagles last year after earning a Super Bowl ring in 2024. He then sought a role that would keep him in his home of Cherry Hill. Now, “Coach JB” has started a new chapter in his football career at Camden Catholic High School.
    • South Jersey power broker and former Inquirer co-owner George E. Norcoss III filed a $100 million defamation and conspiracy lawsuit against the newspaper and one of its editors on Thursday. The lawsuit centers on notes from a 2019 interview with former Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Bass Levin.
    • Even as the Philadelphia suburbs stand to lose another mall, the Cherry Hill Mall appears to be thriving, with a handful of new stores opening recently or set to do so soon, reports The Inquirer’s Erin McCarthy.
    • Several roadway projects are underway across the township this week, bringing road closures to spots such as Cropwell Road and Kenilworth Avenue. Here are the specifics.

    🗺️ Other nearby news

    • Several citations issued last month by Bellmawr police to protesters demonstrating against President Donald Trump and his administration’s immigration policies have been dismissed after the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey intervened, the legal nonprofit said.
    • Mike Bowe, an Audubon resident and longtime local disc jockey and radio show host at stations such as WMGK, WPEN, and WHAT, died last week at 76.

    🏫 Schools briefing

    • Candidates for the Board of Education spoke to uncertainty around state funding, special education needs, communication with stakeholders, and other challenges the district is facing at a forum at Cherry Hill High School West last week, 70and73 reports.

    🍽️ On our plate

    • Goodbye, Sushi Boss; hello, Sushi Stars. The restaurant located at 2135 NJ-38 has changed its name, but promises its menu of sushi, hibachi, and boba is exactly what you remember.
    • Looking for a fall treat to commemorate the official kick off to the season? Springdale Farms offers the township’s lone cider mill, The Sun reports.

    🎳 Things to do

    🤍 Wedding Planning Expo: Lovebirds (or anyone who likes to plan ahead) can explore bridal showcases, wedding exhibits, and advice seminars. ⏰ Wednesday, Sept. 23, 5-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Mall

    🏞️ National Public Lands Day: Join the community in volunteering to clean up and tend to Cherry Hill’s parks, trails, and other outdoor spaces. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m.-noon 💵 Free; registration required 📍 Croft Farm

    🪴 Fall Makers Market: Stock up on plants and handcrafted gifts from more than 25 vendors while reconnecting with nature in the shrub yard. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 McNaughton’s Garden Center

    🩰 Ballet in the Park: Bring a blanket or chair and take in creative classic works from Swan Lake to La Esmeralda. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 26, 3 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, Sept. 27) 💵 Free 📍 Croft Farm

    🗓️ Looking for more things to do? Check out our guide to ongoing South Jersey events.

    🏡 On the market

    A brick-front home with a sun room

    418 Kingston Dr, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

    This four-bedroom, three-bathroom house, built in 1956, features a brick front with a classic brick fireplace inside to match. It has a couple prime spots for a morning coffee: a front porch, as well as a sun room that connects onto the back deck. Updates completed this year include a new roof, air conditioner, furnace, and windows.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $559,900 | Size: 2,048 SF | Acreage: 0.25

    📈 Cherry Hill market report

    • Median listing price: $515,000 (down $14,600 from July) 📉
    • Median sold price: $503,000 (down $37,000 from July) 📉
    • Median days on the market: 38 days (up four days from July) 📈

    This Cherry Hill market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for August from realtor.com.

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Some Burlington City residents say police foot patrols downtown would boost visitation. Local business owners agree.

    Some Burlington City residents say police foot patrols downtown would boost visitation. Local business owners agree.

    Bordered by a riverfront park to the north and Broad Street to the south, a roughly quarter-mile stretch of High Street has long been the commercial heart of Burlington City.

    Today, the historic corridor is still home to the traditional businesses that locals expect downtown, like law offices and insurance agencies, but the street is also showing signs of new life as taprooms, art studios, and more have begun moving in.

    Yet mixed in among all of these businesses, both old and new, remains a smattering of closed or vacant storefronts. Tucked between bustling barber shops and antique stores, some buildings are boarded up entirely while others still boast sun-faded window displays.

    A “permanently closed” sign is posted to the front door of Waitz Jewelers at 320 High St. in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch

    It’s these empty storefronts that are, in part, holding Burlington back from reaching its full potential, according to the New London Alliance (NLA), a neighborhood group based just south of Broad Street.

    The group argues that the number of inactive storefronts makes the area feel unwelcome for pedestrians, especially at night, said NLA member Donnamarie Mazzola.

    In an effort to address this, the group is calling for dedicated police foot patrols downtown — not necessarily because crime is increasing, Mazzola said, but to help create a more comfortable environment for locals and visitors alike.

    “We’re asking the city to consider restoring regular police foot patrols and community policing downtown,” Mazzola said. “We believe having officers present and engaging with residents, businesses, and visitors can help strengthen both public safety and the relationship between the police and the community.”

    A sidewalk along High Street in downtown Burlington was largely empty in the early afternoon of Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch

    Simply knowing cops are walking around downtown might be enough to make people feel more safe to do the same, she said.

    “We have a huge problem with abandoned buildings and absentee landlords, so our downtown is nowhere near the kind of vibrant downtown that people would love,” she said. “And it kind of detracts from that sense of safety and walkability that people really come here searching for.”

    Since the NLA began circulating a community petition at the end of July, Mazzola said, the group has collected a few hundred signatures in support of the foot patrols.

    The petition itself, Mazzola said, is essentially a way to come to city officials with hard data demonstrating a desire for these services beyond just the NLA.

    “We’re hoping that [the petition] sends a signal to the mayor that this is an important priority for the community and that he then kicks off an initiative with the stakeholders and community input,” she said.

    While it is still just an idea, some longtime High Street business owners are already on board.

    After more than two decades operating Virtu Millinery & Accessories on the corner of Union Street, Marie Salter recently began locking her front door after a frightening incident with someone who appeared to be suffering from mental illness, she said.

    Marie Salter’s specialty hat boutique, Virtu Millinery & Accessories, has been on High Street in Burlington for more than 20 years. Salter said she would welcome community foot patrols in the area.Lacey Latch

    If police were walking around the area throughout the day, it might prevent a similar situation from happening again, she said.

    “I would welcome it,” Salter said of possible foot patrols outside her boutique hat shop. “I could keep my door open.”

    Down the block, Philip Augustyn, another longtime High Street business owner, agreed that it would be a welcome sight.

    Augustyn and his wife, Maryanne, have operated Philip’s Antiques & Furniture at 307 High St. for more than 20 years — enough time to remember “years and years ago” when police would regularly walk by, Philip Augustyn said.

    “I’ve been here a long time,” he said. “There’s not a lot of crime down here to begin with, but I think people would just feel better to see the police walking up and down. The merchants, plus any of the tourists or local people, they’d like to see the police on patrol.”

    A few stores down, Olde City Quilts co-owner Rob Engime also looked back fondly on a time when foot patrols were commonplace in the area.

    In the early years of their shop, Engime said, he and his wife would sometimes get calls from police officers who noticed their storefront was unlocked as they made their nightly patrols. Once, when cops found the door cracked open, they walked a police dog through the property just to make sure no one had broken in, he said.

    A storefront available for lease on High Street in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch

    There was a neighborly energy with law enforcement at the time, he said, in large part because locals often recognized officers from growing up in the city.

    “It was great,” Engime said of that time. “It did have a sense that it was much friendlier.”

    After 20 years on what he calls “the busiest street that doesn’t go anywhere,” Engime said, he still loves the neighborhood but would welcome the return of the foot patrols he used to know.

    “It was a lot of fun and we felt a connection with them,” he said. “But now you never see them.”

    It is unclear when Burlington last had dedicated foot patrols downtown or if the department has the staffing capabilities to have any officers on foot. The Burlington City Police Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

    “Obviously I’m sure any police department would love to have enough staffing to have somebody on every corner,” Burlington Mayor Barry Conaway said. “But we know that’s not reality.”

    Two shuttered storefronts sit side by side on High Street in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch

    When asked about the NLA’s petition, Conaway said he was unable to comment more specifically on the matter until it is officially filed with the city.

    But he did share the group’s desire to bring more pedestrians downtown.

    “Every small town, including Burlington, wants to have more foot traffic downtown,” Conaway said, noting that the River Line and nearby bus stops give the city a unique opportunity to bring in people.

    Amid the community’s efforts to boost foot traffic along High Street, the belief held by many residents and business owners — that crime downtown is not increasing — is hard to verify.

    The city did not respond to a public records request seeking crime statistics specifically for this stretch of High Street and instead referred the request to the New Jersey State Police. The state police in turn pointed to Burlington’s citywide crime statistics, which are compiled annually.

    Still collecting signatures, the NLA plans to finally bring the petition to city officials in the fall, Mazzola said. In the meantime, she said, the group is working to get the proposal in front of as many residents as possible.

    “In Burlington, there are pockets of community groups that are very, very interested in making Burlington better, and the NLA is really one of those groups,” Mazzola said.

    “There’s just so much potential that’s been untapped,” she said.

  • Vineland AI data center hit with a $1 million fine

    Vineland AI data center hit with a $1 million fine

    New Jersey has fined the developers of a data center in Vineland more than $1 million for violating clean-air laws.

    State officials say DataOne, a French company that is building the Cumberland County facility, installed and operated 62 large natural-gas power generators without the required DEP permits.

    “This enforcement action — by far the largest ever taken against a data center in New Jersey and possibly one of the largest such actions in the nation — sends a clear message that these facilities will not be constructed or operated with impunity in this state,” New Jersey DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak said in a statement.

    During a site inspection July 29, state DEP officials saw the generators, which had not been there during a December visit, according to the enforcement document. Operating such machines — which emit carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants — without the required permits violates the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act.

    The state’s announcement comes weeks after an investigation by Floodlight and the Guardian, in which the news outlets used thermal drone footage to show the Vineland data center was operating at least 45 of its generators without permits.

    DataOne spokesperson Naomi Race said company executives “disagree with the temporary generator determination” but will apply for the needed permits. Race did not respond when asked whether the company planned to pay the fine.

    DataOne may request a hearing on the matter within 20 calendar days, according to the state’s enforcement document.

    The Vineland data center is shown during an earlier stage of construction. It sits on a former industrial park.Courtesy of DataOne

    As for the facility’s permanent power source, the company is “transitioning to low-emission, quiet fuel cells,” for which they “have the necessary approvals in place,” according to Race. Fuel cells generate energy through an electrochemical reaction rather than combustion, pistons, or rotating machinery.

    The 2.4 million-square-foot complex is set to be South Jersey’s first hyperscale AI data center. While DataOne is the owner, operator, and builder, the Amsterdam-based Nebius Group will operate the center’s internal equipment, which will fuel Microsoft’s AI tools.

    Data centers handle the cloud-storage and computing needs of the companies behind increasingly sophisticated AI tools.

    Human reporters explain why AI data centers are so controversial in the Philly suburbs and beyond

    The Vineland facility is on South Lincoln Avenue, off State Route 55, on the site of a former industrial park. The property was sold to DataOne in a private transaction, the details of which Charles-Antoine Beyney, DataOne’s founder and chief executive officer, previously declined to disclose.

    He also has not disclosed a price, saying only that the project would be privately funded. Beyney said he turned down a nearly $6.2 million loan from the city due to community pushback.

    Some Vineland residents have voiced concerns about the environmental, financial, and quality-of-life impacts of having a data center in their neighborhood. Opponents also took issue with the fact that DataOne did not seek their input until the facility was already under construction.

    Some Vineland residents have put up signs like this one opposing the AI data center under construction nearby. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    At a contentious town hall in January, Beyney tried to assuage these concerns, telling residents they had nothing to worry about because his center would use “breakthrough” technology.

    “Most of the data centers that are being built today suck, big time,” Beyney said at the meeting. “No freaking way am I am going to do what the entire industry is doing … just killing our communities and killing our lungs to make money.”

    The Vineland facility has been under construction for more than a year. In January, DataOne executives said they expected the project to be complete by November.

    Amid the global boom in data center demand, several hyperscale facilities have been proposed in the Philadelphia region, from King of Prussia to Limerick. But few have been approved and begun construction.

    Developer sues Upper Merion Township over rejected King of Prussia data center proposals

    The Vineland site is one of them. Once fully operational, it could be the region’s first hyperscale AI data center.

    The only other local facility nearing completion is Amazon’s 2 million-square-foot data center campus in Falls Township, Bucks County. As of last month, Amazon was awaiting a decision from the Pennsylvania DEP on permit applications for hundreds of proposed backup natural gas generators.

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro shifted his stance on data centers last month and instituted new restrictions, which included the removal of Amazon from the state’s fast-track permitting process.

    Josh Shapiro’s not an AI ‘doomer,’ but the Pa. governor wants federal regulations for the industry

    Shapiro joined New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who in May unveiled a four-prong plan to “hold data centers accountable.” She also has signed legislation requiring data centers to provide their own clean energy and report their energy and water use to the state twice a year.

    Neither governor has issued a statewide moratorium, a move for which some data-center opponents are advocating.

    In recent weeks, the debate over AI has reached a fever pitch, with executives at some of the country’s largest AI companies urging a slowdown amid fears that the technology may eventually destroy humanity.

  • N.J. sues Trump administration over offshore wind cancellations, $1.4B for fossil fuel projects

    N.J. sues Trump administration over offshore wind cancellations, $1.4B for fossil fuel projects

    New Jersey joined a coalition of states suing the Trump administration over its attempts to cancel two big offshore wind leases and pay the companies $1.4 billion to develop fossil fuel projects instead.

    “This administration is paying developers to abandon building new sources of energy at a time when our grid needs more power to meet demand and residents need relief from high electricity prices,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in announcing the suit.

    New Jersey joined New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont in two suits filed Tuesday in U.S. District Courts in Maine and New York.

    The suits were filed by the states’ attorneys general against the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice. The states claim that the settlements attempting to cancel two leases for major wind power projects offshore of New Jersey are illegal.

    The Trump administration is using a taxpayer-funded account meant to settle legal claims to pay for fossil fuel developments outside the states that had offshore wind projects planned, the suits state.

    Davenport said that Trump cannot redirect those funds simply “because he favors the fossil fuel industry.”

    At issue are offshore wind projects that were supposed to be built in the New York Bight, a section of ocean between Long Island and New Jersey, and projects that spanned other states.

    Ending leases

    The New York Bight, despite its name, is mostly off the New Jersey coast, stretching from Long Island to the Cape May inlet.

    The companies purchased the wind power leases in federal auctions held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) during the Biden administration. The BOEM manages any energy production in the Outer Continental Shelf several miles off the coast.

    Chicago-based Invenergy won thousands of acres of offshore wind leases through BOEM auctions in 2022 and 2024 in the New York Bight and the Gulf of Maine.

    It was part of what the Biden administration called the “nation’s highest-grossing competitive offshore energy lease sale in history.”

    Six companies bid record $4.3 billion for N.J. and N.Y. offshore wind energy leases

    The Invenergy leases were designed to produce around 5 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power about 2 million homes in New York, New Jersey, Maine, and Massachusetts.

    In New Jersey, the project was known as Leading Light Wind.

    In addition, Bluepoint Winds won a lease in 2022 in a project expected to generate 2.4 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 1.5 million homes in New York and New Jersey.

    However, earlier this year, the Trump administration reached a settlement with Invenergy to end its offshore wind leases in exchange for $765 million in lease fee reimbursements, with the money going toward natural gas and geothermal projects.

    And it reached a settlement with Bluepoint Winds Holdings to invest up to $765 million into a U.S.-based liquefied natural gas facility. In return, the Department of the Interior said it would cancel the company’s offshore wind lease. Bluepoint Winds Holdings is jointly owned by OW North America LLC and Seaway Energy Holdings LP.

    The Department of the Interior sent a statement to The Inquirer on Tuesday saying that it does not comment on pending litigation.

    However, the statement said in reference to the lease cancellations that the “Department of War identified serious national security risks that demanded immediate attention — which critics conveniently ignore.”

    The statement called the agreements with Invenergy and Bluepoint “voluntary” and said they had been “reviewed and approved by the Department of Justice, underscoring that they went through the appropriate channels.”

    Davenport disputes the Trump administration’s claim that the contracts were canceled over national security issues, which she said have never been specified.

    “Any legitimate national security issues were already accounted for in the government’s original decision to award the leases and are routinely addressed through the federal permitting process that every offshore wind project must complete,” she said.

    The suits filed Tuesday ask the courts to strike down the settlements and restore the leases.

    The suits contend that the administration ignored federal procedure for canceling the leases, that it never held public hearings, that its actions were arbitrary and illegal, that it failed to complete an environmental-impact statement, and that money from the judgment fund cannot be used to pay the companies for their fossil fuel ventures.

    Unwinding offshore wind

    Separately, New Jersey and other states sued the Trump administration in June over cancellation of a $795 million offshore wind lease with Attentive Energy that also would have brought power to the state.

    The unwinding of New Jersey’s nascent offshore wind industry began rapidly when Trump took office in 2025 and began issuing executive orders that made exploring or building the renewable energy source untenable.

    Those included other big offshore wind projects such as those planned by Danish-run Orsted and Atlantic Shores, a partnership between Shell and EDF Renewables.

    On his first day in office, Trump issued a temporary ban on offshore wind, and within days he personally attacked New Jersey’s quest to build wind farms, calling it “a disaster” and saying he wanted the projects “dead and gone.”

  • Wonderland Pier showing signs of collapse; Ferris wheel will be ‘torched’ and cut into pieces, developer says.

    Wonderland Pier showing signs of collapse; Ferris wheel will be ‘torched’ and cut into pieces, developer says.

    The wall under the decking of Wonderland Pier is caving in and showing signs of collapse, say owner Eustace Mita and Ocean City inspectors.

    Ocean City has sent Mita a “Notice of Unsafe Structure,” along with a request for an engineer’s report and a plan of corrective action, city spokesperson Doug Bergen said.

    “It’s an emergent condition,” Bergen said. The wall is toward the rear of the structure and is “not anywhere near where the public would walk by,” he said.

    The decking is caving in on the landlocked Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, prompting Ocean City to issue a notice of unsafe structure. The city says the cinder-block wall below one of the decks toward the rear of the property is unstable.Courtesy Eustace Mita

    “The city’s only involvement is with the cinderblock wall that’s caved in and falling over,” he said.

    Mita, meanwhile, was sounding the alarm that the conditions of the pier and the iconic Ferris wheel were dire.

    He said Monday that he was consulting engineers and that the Ferris wheel would need to be “literally torched” and cut into pieces to be taken down.

    “It’s going to take a long time and a lot of engineering,” he said.

    “The original plan was to dismantle the Ferris wheel and reassemble it,” Mita said.

    However, the steel company that dismantled the Morey’s Piers Ferris wheel for refurbishing told Mita that would not be possible for the Wonderland Ferris wheel.

    Mita said “even the bolts that hold it together” are beyond dismantling, permanently welded in place, “because of the conditions of being oceanfront, and non-operable for so long.”

    The Giant Wheel Ferris wheel and Raiders (right) interactive maze with tunnels, bridges, and slides.on the final day for the beloved Wonderland Pier in Ocean City Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Mita is negotiating with Ocean City to build a hotel on the site, which was declared “in need of rehabilitation,” in part because of the deterioration of the pier.

    While Mita used the condition of the pier to justify a designation that would allow him to build the hotel without zoning changes, community members have contended that, as the owner, Mita was responsible for allowing the pier to deteriorate.

    The amusement pier, owned for decades by the family of Mayor Jay Gillian, closed for good in October 2024. Despite community opposition, City Council approved the rehabilitation designation in June, triggering ongoing negotiations over Mita’s project.

    A rendering of the proposed new Icona in Wonderland Resort, to be built on the site of the old Wonderland Pier. The proposal for a 252-room resort includes saving the iconic Ferris Wheel and carousel.Courtesy Icona Resorts

    His original plan for a seven-story hotel included preserving the Ferris wheel and the historic carousel, in addition to several other kiddie rides. He said Monday he was still trying to save the carousel.

    Mita said he would try to “limit the damage as best we can” to the pier.

    “We can’t make repairs because it’s imploding,” he said.

    Eustace Mita talks about the construction of this beachfront Achristavest home on 116th Street in Stone Harbor on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.Vernon Ogrodnek / For The Inquirer

    Mita told the Ocean City Sentinel last week his latest design proposal called for the hotel to be set back from both the Plaza Place neighborhood at the rear of the property and the boardwalk in front.

    He described a hotel that gets higher toward its center, with a public plaza in front, and a building that will be about 23 feet higher at the rear border than the 50-foot high log flume that is currently there. “It will have a beautiful plaza, which will be open to the public and will have firepits and the like,” he told the Sentinel. “That’s really where we’re at.”

    The old Wonderland Pier site on the boardwalk in Ocean City, N.J. as seen from Wayne Avenue on Jan. 6, 2026. The beloved amusement pier shut down in October 2024. A developer wants to build a luxury hotel. A report put the cost of repairing the Ferris wheel, Carousel and log flume at as much as $6.5 million.Amy S. Rosenberg / staff
  • An early nor’easter threatens the Philly area, with Shore flooding and strong winds possible

    An early nor’easter threatens the Philly area, with Shore flooding and strong winds possible

    With the astronomical summer about to call it a season, the atmosphere is executing an equinoctial flip to mark the arrival of fall with impacts that could last several days.

    With an unusually early nor’easter due to form off the Atlantic coast this week, strong onshore winds in combination with the approaching full moon could result in coastal flooding and significant beach erosion at the Shore in what is likely to be the coolest week since early May.

    The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly has issued a flood advisory for the Shore areas for minor flooding late Tuesday afternoon, and a watch for the potential of moderate flooding late Wednesday afternoon into the evening.

    In addition, it said, “Moderate tidal flooding could continue through at least Friday evening’s high tide or perhaps longer.”

    An advisory for minor flooding along the Delaware River in Philly likely will be added Wednesday into Thursday, said weather service meteorologist Eric Hoeflich.

    Potent winds from the northeast could persist through the weekend from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Jersey Shore, said Brian Hurley, senior branch forecaster with the federal Weather Prediction Center, in College Park, Md.

    When winds and rains may arrive in the Philly region

    The nor’easter likely won’t develop until Wednesday, said Hurley, but rain and strong onshore winds aren’t going to wait for the party to start.

    Showers are likely Tuesday throughout the region, with winds from the northeast gusting to 45 mph at the Shore, starting Tuesday and continuing into late Sunday night. They are likely to generate beach-eating storm waves. Inland, gusts in the range of 35 mph are forecast for the immediate Philly region, lasting about as long.

    It should be dry in South Philly Tuesday night when the Phillies host the Milwaukee Brewers, but it literally will feel like October, with temperatures around 60 degrees at game time. Readings the rest of the week aren’t expected to get out of the 60s, several degrees below normal.

    Rain is possible Friday, but how much falls later in the week and during the weekend will depend on how intense the coastal storm becomes and precisely how it tracks.

    If you’ve lived around here for a while, that may sound familiar.

    “It’s not different from what we talk about in the winter when we try to determine where the snow” is going to fall, said Dan Pydynowski, forecasting supervisor at AccuWeather Inc.

    What is all but certain is that those beach-eroding and flood-inciting onshore winds are going to have staying power.

    What’s going on up there?

    An area of strong fair-weather high pressure, over heavier air, over southeastern Canada is forecast to hold its ground for the next several days. Said Pydynowski, this is “a very strong high for this time of year.”

    As the storm intensifies to the south, it also will be stirring up onshore gusts across the region. Winds blow counterclockwise around storm centers, and areas to the northwest of the center experience northeast winds. That’s why they are called “nor’easters.”

    Between the two systems, the region is in for a major wind-fest.

    Regardless of whether the system becomes a significant rainmaker, said Hurley, “I think we’re going to have coastal flooding erosion issues from the Outer Banks all the way up through the Delmarva and the Jersey Shore for several days in a row.”

    In addition to the winds, the areas along I-95 will experience so-called cold-air damming, the result of chilly northeast winds being dammed in by the Appalachian Mountains to the west.

    “It’s a very weird time of year to get it,” Pydynowski said.