477 N. Elmwood Road
aka the former 'Beagle Club'

A Passive Recreation Park

In early 2021 Evesham Township began steps to purchase and permanently preserve the Garden State Beagle Club property along North Elmwood Road, commonly known as "The Beagle Club."

This 176-acre property was the largest remaining open tract of developable land in the township.

Evesham Township finalized the purchase in April 2022, and since that time extensive planning work has been underway. For several years, township officials have been collaborating closely with state agencies to complete the necessary wetlands delineation, work through the extensive environmental permitting process, and finalize engineering reviews to ensure the property can be safely and responsibly transformed for passive public recreation.

In the meantime, the park remains available for use by members of the public to enjoy the natural beauty of the site.

Click above to watch an aerial site view of the former Beagle Club property as performed by township engineers Remington and Vernick (RVE)

The presention of the Third and most recent Draft Park Concept Plan.
Click the picutre above or button below to see a PDF copy of the presentation and plans.

Late 2020 / Early 2021: Early Preservation Steps
Township begins initial steps to purchase and preserve 477 North Elmwood Road, AKA "The Beagle Club" property. NJ Green Acres Program to provide half of acquisition cost ($2.5 million) across next several years.

April 2021: Land Survey Commences:
Township Engineering Firm conducts the Green Acres Land Survey for the property.

Design Firm Appointed: August 2021
Township Council appoints design firm E&LP.

September 2021: Design Firm Initial Site Visits
Design Firm E&LP and township officials visit site, followed by multiple site visits over subsequent weeks.

September 2021: First Community Input Survey
First Online Community Input Survey is open to the public.

October 2021: First Concept Plan Presentation
Design Firm E&LP publicly presents the first draft of concept plans at the Evesham Township Council Meeting.

October 2021: Public Community Input Meeting
Community Input Meeting held at Gibson House Community Center for public feedback on the first draft concept plans.

October 2021: Second Community Input Survey
Second Online Community Input Survey is open for public feedback.

December 2021: Drafting Second Concept Plan
Design professionals begin work on a second draft concept plan incorporating survey and meeting feedback.

December 2021: Village Greens Community Input
Dedicated input meeting held for residents of the Village Greens Senior Community.

January 2022: Neighboring Communities Input Meeting
Virtual meeting held to with neighboring communities (Tuxedo Court, The Woodlands, Ravenscliff, and Country Farms).

April 2022: Township Closes Property Purchase
Evesham Township officially finalizes the purchase of "The Beagle Club" site. (Includes a 6-month lease-back transition period to former owners with site closed to the public).

May 2022: Final Concept Plan Presentation
Township hosts final community-wide input meeting at Gibson House to present and review revised concept plan.

September 2022: Community Viewing Day #1
Public invited to tour the site.

October 2022: Community Viewing Day #2
Public invited to tour the site.

Late 2022 – Early 2024: Work for NJDEP Letter of Interpretation for Wetlands Delineation
Working with NJ DEP to receive Letter of Interpretation (LOI) for official legal determination of freshwater wetlands and transition areas (buffers) for property.

January 2023 & Beyond: Park available to public as open space
Members of the public are able to access site as open space, walk trails, explore property, etc.

February 2023: Green Acres Grant Application for Trail Work
NJDEP Green Acres Grant application for Construction of Woodland Trails.

June 2023: Green Acres Grant Award
Township receives notification of a $71,200 NJ Green Acres matching grant.

January 2024: Green Acres Grant Application for Trail Work NJDEP Green Acres Grant application for Construction of Woodland Trails.

February 2024: Receipt of NJDEP Letter of Interpretation for Wetlands Delineation
Evesham Township receives NJ DEP Letter of Interpretation (LOI) for official legal determination of freshwater wetlands and transition areas (buffers) for property.

June 2024: Green Acres Grant Award
Township receives notification of a $125,300 Green Acres matching grant.

Late 2024 – August 2025: Bid Document Drafting, Revisions & Permitting Planning:
Bid document drafting, revisions and work between NJDEP and Evesham Township regarding required permits and phasing options.

September 2025: Pre-Application Meeting with NJDEP
Pre-application meeting with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to confirm required permitting and Stormwater Management (SWM) requirements.

September 2025 – December 2025: Permitting Strategy Development
Work preparing permitting approach and Flood Hazard Area (FHA) method.

January 2026: Proposal for Stormwater Management Design & Permitting
Township Engineering Firm submits proposal to Township for Phase 1 Stormwater Management (SWM) Design and Environmental Permitting.

February 2026: Proposal Approved & Design Progress:
Township approves Phase 1 proposal. Hydraulic modeling completed in late April; work shifts to finalizing SWM design and permit applications Freshwater Wetlands (FWW) & (FHA).

Late 2026: Initial DEP Submission
Initial Phase 1 Permitting submissions for Freshwater Wetlands (FWW) & (FHA) to be made to NJDEP. (Historical Preservation archaeological survey may be required for select areas).

2027: Anticipated Construction Start
Phase 1 construction anticipated to begin.

Our second online community input survey started. Thanks once again to everyone who offered input into the design process. See the results in the accompanying graphics.

The first online community survey. Results helped Evesham Township plan for work to transform the current 176-acre Beagle Club property into a new public park that incorporates passive recreation opportunities and provides access to natural ecosystems.

Ideas will ensure the park design addresses community needs and provides the most benefits.

See the results detailed in the accompanying graphics.